Rob Gronkowski teases playing return with Giants

Retired tight end and future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski is again teasing a potential return to playing, this time with the New York Giants. 

"Brian Daboll wants me on his roster. I know it," Gronkowski said Wednesday about the New York head coach during an appearance on the "Up & Adams" program, as shared by Tyler Henry of Giants Wire/USA Today. "Brian Daboll. He can’t get me out of retirement but he would have the best chance to get me out of retirement." 

The two men, of course, aren't strangers, as Gronkowski had Daboll as a tight ends coach when both were employed by the New England Patriots. 

As for the Giants, they're not looking for a TE1 after they landed Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this year. However, Gronkowski suggested he and Waller could make for a formidable one-two punch at the position. 

"That would be pretty wild," Gronkowski said about playing alongside Waller. "I always believe that having two tight ends, it makes the defense have the most difficult times. If you have two tight ends, I think that could make the offense unstoppable ... If you go back to my days when I had another tight end with me, it just makes the offense prolific, unstoppable, it gives you so many more options in the run game and the pass game and play-action." 

Gronkowski last played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2021 season and made it known this past February he's "done" as an active participant. On Wednesday, the 34-year-old told host Kay Adams he is "washed up." 

Giants general manager Joe Schoen did well to give quarterback Daniel Jones needed weapons following the 2022 season, and Jones' coaches believe the 26-year-old could produce the best campaign, to date, of his pro career this fall. 

Could Jones and the Giants possibly play well enough through October to give Gronkowski visions of wearing a Big Blue jersey across the final third of the season? 

Probably not, but such scenarios are fun for fans to think about in the middle of August.