Rob Gronkowski says he is retiring but his agent left open the door for a mid-season return

• Rob Gronkowski is retiring from the NFL after 11 seasons.
• The agent for the 4-time Super Bowl champ wouldn't be surprised if he came back mid-season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski is retiring from the NFL.

Jordan Schultz of The Schultz Report was the first to report the news. Adam Schefter of ESPN confirmed the report.

Gronk's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Schefter that he would not be surprised if the four-time Super Bowl champ were talked out of retirement by Tom Brady during the upcoming season. Rosenhaus made it clear that it was just his speculation.

"It would not surprise me if Tom Brady calls him during the season to come back and Rob answers the call," Rosenhaus told Schefter. "This is just my opinion but I wouldn't be surprised if Rob comes back during the season or next season."

Gronkowski, who just recently turned 33, first retired from the NFL after the 2018 season at age 29.

He later came out of retirement in 2020 and was traded to the Bucs to be reunited with Brady.

Gronk made over $70 million in his career, including a $1 million bonus in his final regular-season game after reminding Brady he needed one more catch for the extra cash. It has been reported that Gronkowski has saved all of his career NFL earnings and has lived off of his endorsement deals.

The four-time All-Pro has battled injuries throughout his career, including concussions. In 2019, Gronk first teased an NFL comeback, saying CBD had helped heal his body.