Ian Rapoport shuts down Rob Gronkowski unretirement rumor in 2 words after reports go viral on ex-Patriots TE's comeback

Over the past week, rumors have been rife that four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski is eyeing a sensational return to the NFL, three years after his final game in the league. The tight end, one of the most dominant players in history, has been linked with moves to the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos, among others.

While the rumors continue to swirl and gain momentum, NFL insider Ian Rapoport poured cold water on the fans' hopes of seeing Gronkowski in action again. He shared a clip from Denver-based sports writer Cecil Lammey claiming the tight end was negotiating a deal with the Broncos and wrote:

"Nope. Nonsense."

As intriguing as the four-time Super Bowl champion's return to the league would be, it seems there's no truth to him planning on it with immediate effect.

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Rob Gronkowski has mulled return to the NFL

While he may not be training or be close to a deal with a team, Rob Gronkowski does have the itch to unretire for the second time and play. On the Dudes on Dudes podcast posted on Saturday, he said:

"I was talking to my brother, actually, yesterday, and I told him, 'Hey, I might as well go back to football, because I'm grinding harder than I ever grinded before, and I'm not even playing football.' So like, I might as well go back, because playing ball would be easier than what I've been doing over the last six months.

"But I appreciate, you know, all the people in my life. I appreciate all my jobs. I'm definitely thankful for every job that I had throughout the season." [From 0:00]

Rob Gronkowski's resume is already Hall of Fame-worthy and he'll likely get his bronze bust in his first year of eligibility. However, the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end is in no hurry to be immortalized.

At age 35, it remains to be seen whether Gronk would seriously pursue yet another comeback to the NFL.