Rob Gronkowski undecided on playing future

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have a very different look to them less than two years after their Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last February. Quarterback Tom Brady will turn 45 years old in August and isn't yet publicly committing to returning for the 2022 NFL season, and four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski will be 33 in May and is set to hit free agency when the new league year opens in March. 

Gronkowski spoke with reporters Monday following Sunday's heartbreaking playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams and suggested he could walk away from the Buccaneers and from pro football, in general. 

"I'm really going to basically do what's best for myself in terms of the football world," Gronkowski explained, according to Nick Shook of the NFL's website. "It's going to be a decision based upon of where I'm at in a couple weeks."

Gronkowski missed time this fall with a rib injury and is no longer the dominant force he was in his prime, but he nevertheless finished the season with 55 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns across 12 contests. He then tallied nine receptions for 116 yards and a score in a pair of postseason games. 

Per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, Gronkowski added he could continue playing either with the Buccaneers or elsewhere if Brady retires this winter. Head coach Bruce Arians said Monday Tampa Bay will give Brady "all the time he needs" to make a final decision on his future, and one assumes the same holds true regarding Gronkowski considering his on-the-field chemistry with the legendary signal-caller.