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It was pretty hard to blame Rob Gronkowski for officially hanging up his cleats after retiring for a second time following a two-year stint with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, and while he doesn’t really have much left to prove, it seems like he could return to the gridiron in pursuit of a gold medal at the Olympics.
Gronk won four Super Bowl rings and punched his ticket to the Pro Bowl on five occasions while cementing himself as one of the greatest tight ends of all time during an NFL career that spanned 11 seasons, and based on the number of concussions he claims he fell victim to courtesy of football, it was easy to understand why he walked away from the game at the age of 33.
However, he may be open to a comeback thanks to an opportunity that would take a significantly smaller toll on his body.
Earlier this week, the folks behind the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles sent the International Olympic Committee a proposal concerning the addition of five new sports: baseball, cricket, lacrosse, squash, and flag football.
Tyreek Hill made it clear he’d be game to represent Team USA if flag football gets the green light, and during a recent conversation with TMZ Sports, Gronkowski echoed that sentiment while teasing the possibility of his return to football, saying, “Hopefully there’s no tryouts and they just accept me. But I’m in. I’m going for that if there is flag football in the Olympics in 2028.”
As the outlet notes, Gronkowski will be 39 years old by the time the 2028 Olympics roll around, but he’d also have ample time to prepare for the event. He might have some competition at the position, but it’s hard to imagine the United States wouldn’t at least explore the possibility of taking advantage of his talents.