Rob Gronkowski was understandably pumped up after getting into the end zone for the first time this season in Week 6, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end was fortunately mic’d up for the moment.
Gronkowski scored his first touchdown of 2020 when he connected with longtime teammate Tom Brady on a 12-yard pass during the second quarter of the Bucs’ 38-10 throttling of the Green Bay Packers.
Given Gronk’s one-year retirement, it’s been a long time since the veteran tight end found himself in the end zone. In fact, his scoring drought goes all the way back to Week 13 of the 2018 season.
It goes without saying that Gronkowski’s post-TD celebration was a long time coming, so his enthusiastic response was warranted.
“I got one, Cam!” Gronkowski said on the bench to fellow Bucs tight end Cameron Brate. “I —-ing got one! Yeah baby!”
Interestingly enough, Gronk’s first TD of the season was also the first time he’s broken out a left-handed spike, as his patented celebratory move has always been with his dominant right hand.
The result of going with his left hand on the spike received middling reviews on social media, which Gronkowski addressed earlier this week.
“That was my first left-handed spike in my career,” Gronkowski said Monday during a video press conference, per NBC Boston. “It was kind of weak, from the ratings I’ve been getting. They don’t understand – I thought it was a 10 out of 10 for my left hand.
“It felt good to get back in the end zone. It’s been quite some time and it just feels real good to get my first with the Buccaneers. It was just cool to see my teammates excited and my coaches excited for me to get back in the end zone, which was something pretty cool.”
Gronkowski has been largely a non-factor in the Buccaneers’ passing game this season with only 12 receptions in five games. The one-time dominant tight end had a breakout game with the Packers, though, with five receptions for 78 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.
The standout performance perhaps is a sign of things to come and could be a sign that the four-time, First Team All-Pro has finally knocked off all the rust accumulated during a year away from the game.
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