NFL icon Rob Gronkowski reveals Giants’ Brian Daboll is the only coach who could tempt him out of retirement… and insists: ‘He wants me on his roster – I know it’

Rob Gronkowski has revealed that only Brian Daboll can tempt him into retirement, as he seemed adamant that the New York Giants head coach wants him on the team’s roster this coming season.

Appearing on FanDuel TV’s “Up & Adams” show with Kay Adams on Wednesday, the 34-year-old teased that he could make an NFL comeback from September and play for the G-Men at MetLife Stadium.

“Brian Daboll wants me on his roster, I know that,” Gronk said, though he was quick to turn down the left to extend his career into double digits.

“I like to pretend I can still play. It makes me feel good,” the 34-year-old added.

“But no, I can’t — I washed up. But I like to pretend.’

Gronk is adamant that New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll wants him in NYC

Gronkowski then quickly made it clear that Daboll wouldn’t actually be able to get him out of retirement, but that he would have the “best chance” of at least getting him to think about it.

The former tight end made his first return to football in 2020, joining good friend and retired quarterback Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Gronk initially retired in 2019 after nine seasons. The Patriots traded him to the Bucs in April 2020.

A second return to the field seems very unlikely, although rumors of a comeback somehow continue to circulate with Gronkowski.

When asked about the possibility of joining Darren Walker, Gronk seemed interested in the idea of ​​two tight ends from the Giants, claiming it will elevate the team’s offense in a distinctive way.

“That would be pretty wild,” Gronkowski said. ‘I always believe that having two tight ends; it causes the defense to have the hardest of times.

“If you have two tight ends, I think that can make the attack unstoppable. And it’s rare you go back to my days when I had a tight end with me again it just makes the offense productive unstoppable it gives you so many more options in the run game and the pass game and play action .’

Gronkowski returned to NFL action in 2020, a year after his retirement, to join Tom Brady on the Bucs

Throughout his career, Gronk played in 142 regular season games for 621 receptions, 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns. He set several NFL records, including becoming the first player of his position to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (17 in 2011) and in most combined receptions (23) and receiving yards (297) by a tight end in history of the Super Bowl. .

What’s more, the four-time Super Bowl champion ranks first in average yards per goal (9.9) and average touchdowns per game (0.69) among tight ends.

Gronkowski also holds the Patriots franchise record for total receiving touchdowns (79) as well as being the first tight end with more than 1,000 receiving yards on the season.

In addition, the New York native was a four-time first-team All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowler and was named Comeback Player of the Year in 2014.