Rob Gronkowski has found his place after the NFL, but he has no plans to leave it for another major opportunity. The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end has become a familiar face on FOX’s NFL coverage, and when Von Miller asked if he could see himself calling games, Gronkowski made his answer clear.
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“No, man, I’m a desk guy. There’s no doubt about it, man. But I’m not going to be in that booth calling games to know every single player, know every single detail about every play. That’s not for me,” Gronkowski said on Free Range with Von Miller this week.
Gronkowski has stayed busy since calling it a career in 2022. He teamed up with Julian Edelman for Dudes on Dudes in 2024, and a year later, became a full-time part of FOX NFL Sunday.
Tom Brady, Gronkowski’s former teammate, went down the broadcasting route Gronkowski has ruled out. Brady joined FOX’s top NFL crew in 2024 as its lead analyst alongside Kevin Burkhardt. FOX confirmed in August that the pair are entering their third season together in 2026.
Gronkowski does not appear interested in following that career progression. He has instead embraced the studio environment.
“I was a guy that hated meetings. Like, I don’t want to give a s*** about the details. Tom, I’m going to just run, and you just throw the ball up. If I’m open, man, I’m open. It’s as simple as that,” he said.
During their time together in Tampa Bay, Brady was the quarterback responsible for getting the ball to Gronkowski. Now, the two have taken very different approaches in their lives on television.
Apart from this, there is also a much bigger Brady storyline hanging over his post-playing career. In March, Brady revealed that he had actually asked about the possibility of returning to the NFL despite his ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The league made clear that such a move would create complications, and Brady ultimately emphasized that he was happy in retirement.
“I actually have inquired, and they don’t like that idea very much,” Brady told CNBC at the time. “So I’m going to leave it at that. We explored a lot of different things, and I’m very happily retired.”
The comments nevertheless gave fresh life to the idea of Brady playing again, particularly because he had already returned to the field for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in March. But there is no confirmed NFL comeback.
“I loved being out there playing in the flag game,” Brady said. “I loved not getting hit. I’ve got a lot of really fun things I’m involved in.
“It’s never going to get old throwing passes to incredible athletes on the football field. But if anything, that game reconfirmed to me that I’m very happy in my retirement.”
Brady’s ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders is the biggest obstacle. He and his partner, Tom Wagner, acquired a 10% stake in the franchise in 2024, with Brady personally holding 5%. NFL rules prevent him from being both an owner and an active player.
NFL.com pointed to questions over whether Brady could return as a free agent or would have to play for Las Vegas, while his ownership-related money could bring salary-cap issues into the picture. NBC Sports likewise noted that a comeback would involve plenty of complications, even if Brady chose to pursue one.
There is also the FOX question. Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million contract with FOX and is now in his third season as the network’s No. 1 NFL analyst alongside Burkhardt.
Gronk knows exactly where he belongs, but Brady has somehow kept the comeback door cracked open. With FOX, the Raiders, and the NFL all tied into his post-playing life, any return would come with plenty of strings attached. For now, though, Gronk is perfectly happy staying at the desk while Brady keeps the football world guessing.