Rob Gronkowski shares huge claims about teased Tom Brady comeback

Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady raised some eyebrows when he suggested in late March that he had "inquired" about possibly completing a playing comeback at some point after he was officially approved to be a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders in the fall of 2024. 

Brady and longtime teammate Rob Gronkowski were featuring for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in September 2021 when they teased that the seven-time Super Bowl champion could continue playing into his 50s. During a recent chat with DJ Siddiqi of Covers, Gronkowski touched upon how Brady performed during the recent Fanatics Flag Football Classic.

Would Tom Brady be a top-10 NFL quarterback at 49?

"Tom looked incredible," Gronkowski explained. "It looked like he’s never missed a down in his life, still to this day, being 48 years old. He's never missed a beat over the last three years he has taken off. The guy is just a competitor. He's a performer. He looked like he was 24 years old out there. If he played in the NFL right now –– which I swear he still could –– he's the only one that could at the age of 48, and he would be a top-10 quarterback."

Brady will turn 49 years old this coming August, and he insisted in early 2023 that he had retired from playing "for good." Additionally, an NFL spokesperson confirmed to Alex Sherman of CNBC that Brady would need to divest his ownership stake in the Raiders if he were serious about wanting to return to the playing field. 

There's no indication Brady is willing to make such a move. Meanwhile, the Raiders likely will soon have Kirk Cousins and presumed No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza on their depth chart. 

How long could Tom Brady play if he wanted to return?

"Hypothetically speaking, I would say until 54 years old," Gronkowski added about how long Brady could play in the NFL after his ongoing sabbatical. "This guy is just different. He blew my mind. Over the last month, we were training together, and every time I was walking away impressed with his skill-set, his competitiveness, and just how his arm strength, his accuracy is all still there. ...He does everything right. I will attribute it to how disciplined he is, his methods as well. They're wonderful methods. They work great. But on top of all that, he just has it. He was born like that. You do everything, but your body has to be there, and he was blessed with always being ready to go. I admire it big-time forever."

Perhaps the Raiders could view Brady as a fallback option in the event that Mendoza looks like a total bust by the summer of 2027. Then again, Brady still has millions of reasons to avoid taking hits on NFL Sundays into his 50s.