Tom Brady‘s dating life has become a recurring talking point among his former teammates, and Rob Gronkowski just added fuel to the conversation. Appearing on a recent podcast, the longtime New England Patriots tight end was asked what kind of partner would suit Brady best, and he didn’t hesitate to answer. Gronkowski’s response leaned on a comparison fans didn’t see coming.

“Sweet, got a great soul, very positive energy… Someone like my mother, she’s very sweet,” Gronkowski said on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle. “Not my mom, but someone like my mom! She would be like, ‘That’s the best birthday present ever!'”

Dating rumors around Brady haven’t slowed down, with new names popping up in the media every few months. But if it were up to Gronkowski, all that noise wouldn’t matter much. He’d just want his old friend to end up with someone kind, positive, and good-hearted at the core.

Rob’s mother, Diane, is a big Tom Brady fan, as implied by Gronk. She has seen both her son and Brady chase Super Bowl after Super Bowl in their respective careers. But the tight end is still a momma’s boy at heart.

There was a time when Gronk’s mother wanted her son to learn from Brady, who is 12 years older than the TE. Brady had a habit of greeting his mother whenever he was giving his interviews on the field. Diane used to hope that her son would also send her a hello whenever it was his turn, only to be disappointed.

“And then,” she continues, “they’re like, ‘OK, thanks Rob,’ and he’s ‘OK, thanks,’ and he walks away,” she told TODAY in 2019. “And I’m like, where’s the ‘hi, mom?’ Right? Like, Tom, come on. You need to teach that to Rob.”

Fans assume that it was Tom Brady’s presence in Tampa Bay that drew Gronkowski to Florida, but that’s only partly true. He said previously that Tampa Bay would take him nearer to his mother, who lived only two hours away. Bucs fans now know who to thank to get the tight end to their team, and a Super Bowl victory soon after.

Diane had also sent her support to the star duo during that momentous season, who had been written off after their Patriots careers.

“He was really proud that the whole team could come together and do this for Tampa,” she said, via FOX 13 News. “It was, ‘Washed-up Brady throwing to washed-up Gronk,’ and now they’re going to the Super Bowl. Maybe it is a little incentive when they get negative press.”

Perhaps that’s the kind of support Gronkowski wants Tom Brady to have some day, too.

It’s not surprising he still looks out for Brady like this. Over eleven seasons together, nine with the Patriots and two with the Buccaneers, the duo connected for 105 touchdowns, including a postseason record of 15, a playoff record no other pairing has matched.

When Brady left New England for Tampa Bay in 2020, Gronkowski came out of retirement to follow him, and that decision paid off almost immediately. Together, they helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV, with Gronkowski hauling in two touchdowns in the win over Kansas City.

Their bond went beyond the field too. Brady’s serious, all-business demeanor paired with Gronkowski’s goofball energy made them a hit in commercials and interviews alike, and clearly, that dynamic hasn’t faded.

“When we didn’t have Gronk, I, as a quarterback, for the first time in my career realized like ‘Oh (expletive), we lose those matchups all of the time,’” Brady said on New Heights. “Not only is that not neutral, it’s a loss, so now everything is to the open side, or you’re flashing the tight end back all of the time. And again, it just limits what you’re able to do.”

However, the question raised in the interview still stands. Tom Brady is still single, despite having stirred up some chatter in the past few months.

Tom Brady’s love life is still up in the air

Tom Brady hasn’t said whether he’s seeing anyone right now. Since his split with Bündchen, he was rumored to have been with model Irina Shayk, Brooks Nader, and most recently, influencer Alix Earle. As of now, however, there’s nothing that concretely points towards Brady being in a relationship with someone.

Per a source and via Entertainment Tonight, the former quarterback had been casually dating since his divorce. He was not “completely closed off to the idea of getting married again,” but was not sure about what future had in store for him.

Brady and Bündchen separated after 13 years of marriage and are parents to Benjamin and Vivian. The supermodel has since moved on, having married jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente in 2025 and welcoming a baby with him that same year. Both of them have addressed that the split was tough, with Bündchen saying that it felt like a “death.” For Brady, it also affected his game.

“It was a challenge,” Brady told FOX. “It just took a lot out of me in terms of, you know, my ability to continue to play.”

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have since remained amicable. However, the former quarterback is easily one of the most eligible bachelors out there now. Can wingman Rob Gronkowski help him out on that front?