Rob Gronkowski wants 'two in a row' with Buccaneers

One reason seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady agreed to a contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was to provide some salary-cap relief so the Super Bowl LV winners could "keep the band together" for at least another season. 

Four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, who earned his fourth Super Bowl ring last month, scared some Tampa Bay fans when he hinted he could depart in free agency but ultimately agreed to a one-year deal to run it back with the Buccaneers. 

Per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, the fun-loving Gronk explained his decision during an appearance on Doug Flutie’s SiriusXM podcast. 

"I feel like the front office’s goal of the Buccaneers was to keep the team together, was to keep the band together," Gronkowski said. "I feel like that was the case, and that’s what has happened so far in free agency. And I love it. I love the guys on the team. Like I said, no one was selfish at all. Everyone was there to play together. Even during the tough times, you know, it never really got tough. We just knew we had to work through it and keep going. But it’s just so great to see everyone come back, and I’m super excited again for the season to come up, let me tell you. I need this break, need the couple months off and everything, but I’m excited to get started back up when it comes, knowing the guys that we have coming back, knowing the guys on the team. Football can be a grind. It can be the biggest grind, and when you got, you know, guys in the locker room that, you know, that you don’t really want to be around, it gets tough. But let me tell you, everyone loved being around each other. So it’s great just to see this team all come back and I’ll be a part of it, and try to go for number two in a row."

Wide receiver Chris Godwin, linebacker Lavonte David and star pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett are among other noteworthy Tampa Bay players staying put through at least this offseason.