Rob Gronkowski Hints He Won't Return to Bucs in Leonard Fournette's IG Comments

Rob Gronkowski continues to be coy about his future in the NFL.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette shared a screenshot on Instagram of a tweet he sent wondering how many fans will be wearing his jersey in 2022. Gronkowski responded and said, "I’ll represent a 7 jersey in the stands for ya!"

In April, Gronkowski told USA Today's Josh Peter he still hadn't made a decision about his status for the upcoming NFL season. He explained how he wants to wait until he knows for sure one way or the other.

"So if I’m not all in to do that, then I’m not going to put myself out there in that situation," he said. "But if I’m feeling that, if I want to go knock my head around, you know, put my body on the line, if I feel like doing that again, miss that, I would certainly sign another contract."

While he's a free agent, the 33-year-old would presumably only suit up for the Buccaneers.

First-year head coach Todd Bowles told reporters Friday the team doesn't have any set deadline on when it expects to hear a resolution.

While not performing at the level he enjoyed during his peak with the New England Patriots, Gronkowski has shown in his two years with the Bucs he remains an effective aerial target. He has 100 receptions for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns over 28 games.

But Gronkowski has been blunt about the punishment he has absorbed on the gridiron. Following his brief retirement in 2019, he said he thought he had suffered around 20 concussions and required nine surgeries.

Nobody will be surprised if Gronk decides he has had enough.