"I think that this is more permanent" - Former NFL player believes we've seen the last of Rob Gronkowski after his recent retiring

Rob Gronkowski's illustrious 11-year career has ended as the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots tight end recently announced his retirement via Twitter.

Many fans and NFL pundits have been debating whether Gronk will remain retired or if he will come back to help his team if best friend Tom Brady comes calling during the season.

NFL analyst and former teammate of Gronkowski, Rob Ninkovich, was a guest on ESPN's Get Up. Ninkovich believes that the future Hall of Fame tight end is done in the NFL:

"I think that [this retirement] is more permanent. I don't see Rob coming back. I really don't. I think at this point, it's a different feeling as opposed to the last time he retired. There were a lot of things going on. He took a year off. He came back and won another Super Bowl playing with Tom Brady. Think of it this way. Rob has accomplished more than any other tight end in history, and Rob has done more in his career than anyone else in history."

Only time will tell if Gronk will choose to remain in the Florida (or wherever he chooses to retire) sun or if he gets an itch to come back and play at some point during the 2022-2023 NFL season.

Will Rob Gronkowski return to the Buccaneers next season?

Dallas Cowboys v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The answer to the question above will significantly depend upon a few variables, the first being health. For example, last season saw Gronkowski miss significant time with a severe rib and back injury.

During this time, the team struggled a bit but managed to get through because of the many offensive weapons stocked on the team.

Receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are each Pro Bowlers and are considered among the best receiving duos in the NFL. Gronk's loss was minimized a bit because of their presence.

Next season is already missing some of those same offensive weapons with Gronk retiring and Godwin still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season during a Week 15 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Injuries typically begin to mount up as the year wears on for teams. The Buccaneers are one of the teams projected to compete at the top tier for the Super Bowl, so an injury to a significant player on offense may be enough to get Gronk back to the team.

Even Gronkowski's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said the following via a text to Pro Football Talk:

"In my opinion, he isn't done. I would not be surprised to see him come back down the road."

Stay tuned in the fall to see if the No. 87 will once again join his buddy Tom Brady for one last epic run to the Super Bowl.

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If you use any of the quotes above, please credit Get Up, Pro Football Talk, and H/T Sportskeeda.

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