Will Julian Edelman follow Rob Gronkowski's footsteps and unretire to play for Tom Brady's Buccaneers?

Tom Brady famously switched teams from the New England Patriots to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2020 NFL free agency period after his former team declined to offer him a contract extension.

It worked out just fine for Brady, as he won a Super Bowl in his very first season with the Buccaneers. Prior to the start of the 2020 season, Brady's first in Tampa Bay, he recruited certain players to come and join him on the roster in their pursuit of a Super Bowl ring.

One of the main players he convinced to join him was Rob Gronkowski, one of his favorite targets while playing for the Patriots. The two have combined to form one of the most dominant duos in NFL history.

Rob Gronkowski had previously retired following the 2018 season, so he didn't play at all in the 2019 season before joining Brady on the Buccaneers in 2020.

The move worked out so well for Brady that two years later in the 2022 offseason, he may be looking to replicate the process with another familiar target, Julian Edelman.

Tom Brady recently posted on Twitter, hinting at a possible recruitment:

Rob Gronkowski chimed in, adding fuel to the fire:

Julian Edelman responded, further increasing the rumors of the possibility:

Julian Edelman last played in 2020, but he missed the majority of the season due to injuries. He retired at the conclusion of the year, so he didn't play at all in 2021.

If he were to unretire and join Brady in Tampa Bay, it would be similar to Gronkowski, who also retired for one season before becoming a Buccaneer.

Unlike Gronkowski, who was still under contract with the Patriots when he unretired, Edelman's contract with the Patriots expired following the 2021 season.

If he returned, he would be an unrestricted free agent. He would be free to sign with any team and the Buccaneers would be the obvious front-runner.

Tom Brady and Julian Edelman found much success together with the Patriots

New England Patriots Julian Edelman and Tom Brady.

Julian Edelman played ten seasons in New England, with Tom Brady as his quarterback.

Edelman eclipsed 100 receptions in two different seasons and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards three times. The pair won three Super Bowl rings together with the Patriots, and Edelman was named the MVP for one of them.