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The team did not divulge the terms of the deal,
however agent Drew Rosenhaus told NFL Network and ESPN last week
that the sides agreed to a one-year contract. The Athletic and
NFL Network reported that the contract will pay Gronkowski $8
million and includes the opportunity to earn another $2 million
in incentives.
Gronkowski admitted that he talked with a couple of other teams
while exploring free agency before signing with Tampa Bay.
"I wanted to be back with the Buccaneers organization,"
Gronkowski said Monday. "The setup here is just unbelievable.
The chemistry that I've built over the last season is fantastic.
.".. But it's football, you never know how things are going to
play out, so it's just good to listen to what else was out
there. And there was something to an extent, but overall
everything just fell into place right away on the first day. So,
I just didn't want to waste any time."
"In addition to his contributions on the field, Gronk has
quickly become one of the most beloved guys in our locker room,"
Bucs general manager Jason Licht said. "His ability to perform
at a championship-caliber level week after week, while also
uplifting everyone around him, makes him an invaluable presence
in our building. Rob's accomplishments speak for themselves and
make him one of the greatest to ever play the game at his
position. We are thrilled to have him back with us as we pursue
another title in Tampa."
Gronkowski, 31, came out of retirement before the 2020 season to
reunite with former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
in Tampa. The Buccaneers' championship last month gave Brady a
record seven Super Bowl titles while Gronkowski won his fourth.
A four-time All-Pro, Gronkowski produced modest numbers by his
standards in the 2020 regular season: 45 catches for 623 yards
and seven touchdowns. In the Buccaneers' first three playoff
games, he totaled just two catches for 43 yards, but he was a
key contributor in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City
Chiefs, making six receptions for 67 yards and two TDs in the
31-9 win.
"It was a great feeling," Gronkowski said of playing in all 20
games (16 regular season, four playoffs) last season. "It was
something I wanted to prove to myself that I could do. I can
play a full season and a full postseason, and at a high level,
too."
The Brady-Gronkowski connection has accounted for 14 career
playoff touchdowns, the top figure for any
quarterback/pass-catcher duo in league history.
Gronkowski, selected by New England in the second round of the
2010 draft out of Arizona, played for the Patriots from 2010-18,
compiling 521 catches for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns. He
topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark four times.
--Field Level Media
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