Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski: A tale as old as time (and Brad

Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski: A tale as old as time (and Brady).The Brady-Gronk dynamic duoditched the chilly northeast and headedto steamyFlorida this past season, with the free-agent Brady and unretired Gronk taking the field as members of the Tampa D J Moore T Shirts Bay Buccaneers during the 2020 NFL season.Of Gronk's 86 career touchdown receptions, all but two have come from from the eternal arm of No. 12: One came from Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014, and one from Blaine Gabbert (future trivia answer) in Week 16 of this year.While Brady's free agency was well documented, the news of Gronkowski's unretirement struck quick, with rumors turning to hard news in just a matter of hours. Gronk, now 31, sat out the 2019 season as he let his body recoup from years of gridiron abuse, including several concu sions, a bad back and general lower body injuries.During the time away, though, Gronkstayed busy: He partnered with a CBD company to advocate for pro athletes' use of medicinal marijuana, showed up on "The Masked Singer" and even lived out a boyhood dream of capturing a WWE championship. The man of many talents turnedin the many for the one, though, with his long-awaited NFL return coming in Week 6 vs. the Saints this year.Now, the pairing of Gronk and Brady looks to extend their 12 playoff touchdowns together in Super Bowl 55.Why did Rob Gronkowski retire? A post shared by (@gronk) on Mar 24, 2019 at 2:53pm PDT It was never a clear-cutNo. 1reason why the All-Pro tight end decided to walk away from the game, but there were two predominant ones:The injuries: Gronkowski dealt with a myriad of injuries throughout his career, playing in 16 games just twice in his career, his freshman and sophomore seasons with New England. In the last three years, Gronkowski dealt with back, ankle,rib and hamstring i sues, along with a concu sions he sustained during the playoffs.The relationship with Bill Belichick: A vetoed 2018 trade between the Patriots and the Lions involving Gronkowski left the tight end feeling shunned by Bill Belichick. Gronk would play the season out in New England, but announced retirement following the 2019 season after helping win his third Super Bowl ring.Rob Gronkowskitimeline from Patriots to BuccaneersIt all started over two years ago, when rumors of Gronk's retirement really began:April 15, 2018 ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Tom Brady will be sitting out the beginning NFL Carolina Panthers Jersey of training camp. Somewhat surprisingly, though, Schefter also reports that Gronkowski is not only sitting out, but he's thinking Aug. 30. 2018 The Patriots agree to rework Gronk's contract, giving him a little pay bump,effectively keeping him in New England through 2018.Sept. 23, 2018 As it turns out, there was a reason for Gronkowski's hesitance to want to play the season after all: the Patriots Steve Smith Sr T Shirts were on the verge of shipping Gronkowski off to Detroit on the night of the 2018 NFL Draft. Perhaps as a sign of things to come, Gronk told reporters he The veteran tight end was likely disappointed with rumors of a trade.Feb. 3, 2019 Gronkowski's final catch as a Patriot comes midway through the fourth quarter, a diving grab that lands the Patriots on the 2-yard line. The Patriots would score off a Sony Michel rush, and Gronk would secure his third and final ring with New England.March 24, 2019 An outcome many expected, Gronkowski decides to hang up his cleats for good temporarily, announcing his retirement from the NFL. A myriad of injuries and his seeming fracture with head coach Bill Belichick forces the soon-to-be 30-year-old into retirement.Rob Gronkowskis me sage on Instagram: Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 25, 2019 Drew Rosenhaus, Gronkowski's agent, leaves the door open for a Gronk return in 2019: "If the team was struggling or they needed him at some point next year, and let'sjust say hypothetically Tom Brady gave him a call and said 'Rob, I need you,' I wouldnt be shocked if he came back to play a few games."Oct. 10, 2019 Patriots owner Robert Kraft is still hopeful that Gronkowski could suit up for New England, as he reveals Gronkowski has yet to file his retirement papers with the league.Nov. 31, 2019 The opportunity for Gronkowski to throw on shoulderpads for the Patriots comes and goes, as the deadline for players to be reinstated from the reserve list pa ses at 4 p.m. ET. This effectively ends Gronkowski's season, though he will be eligible to play once again following the Super Bowl.March 11, 2020 News breaks that Rob Gronkowski has signed with WWE. The sports entertainment superfan is set to appear on an upcoming Muhsin Muhammad Jersey episode of WWE "SmackDown."April 4-5, 2020 A life-long WWE fan, Gronkowski hosts WrestleMania 36from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. It's not the first time Gronkowski appeared in a WWE ring, having stepped into the ring at WrestleMania 33 just threeyears prior. Gronkowski wins WWE's 24/7 Championship on the second night of the event.April 21, 2020 In the span of a little over an hour, Gronkowski goes from retired to reunited with Tom Brady, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reports a deal between the Bucs and the Patriots was struck quickly. The Patriots got a fourth-round pick in return, while Tampa Bay got a conditional seventh-round pick and Gronkowski. The deal is made official around 9 p.m. ET.June 1, 2020 The sports entertainment dominance of two-sport athlete Gronk comes to an end, with Gronkowski losing the belt to R-Truth on an episode of "RAW."Sept. 13, 2020 Gronkowski returns to the field, playing in his first regular season game in two seasons, this time as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.Oct. 18, 2020 Gronkowski catches his first touchdown from Brady in almost two years.Dec. 26, 2020 The Gabbert-to-Gronkowski touchdown reception moves Gronk into 15th place all-time in TD receptions. He's third all-time in TD receptions by a tight end behind Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez.Jan. 17, 2021 A 14-yard reception is the first catch D.J. Moore Jersey in the playoffs for Gronk since 2019. The Bucs would beat the Saints 30-20 and march on to the NFC championship game.Jan. 24, 2021 Gronk catches a single pa s that goes for 29 yards in the Bucs' 31-26 victory over the Packers in the NFC championship game. Brady and Gronk will have a shot at ring No. 4 while together in Super Bowl 55 vs. the Chiefs.