Rob Gronkowski: Tom Brady will 'have it until he’s at least 50 years old'

In May 2021, several months after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LV, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht first admitted he told quarterback Tom Brady that the seven-time Super Bowl champion signal-caller could "play until he’s 50." 

Brady, who turns 45 years old this coming August and has both retired and returned to the Buccaneers for the 2022 NFL season since Licht's comments, joked with tight end Rob Gronkowski last September about spending another six years in the league not being a "difficult" task. 

Gronkowski remains a free agent and recently said he is "not ready to commit to the game of football right now" and that he initially believed Brady "was going to come back in like a year." Per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, the 32-year-old explained during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" why he thinks Brady could continue his career through the bulk of the 2020s.

"I was not surprised at all," Gronkowski said of Brady's return to the Tampa Bay roster last month. "I was actually surprised how quick it was, because I thought he was possibly going to take a year off or something like that and maybe come back after that. I believe he’ll have it until he’s at least 50 years old. I see his work ethic day in and day out, and it’s second to none." 

It's widely assumed Gronkowski will eventually rejoin Brady in Florida even if the four-time Super Bowl champion tight end waits until the summer to confirm that call. For now, Gronk is still completing typical offseason workouts while unattached to any team.