Right after retiring from football (again), Rob Gronkowski was doing what he does—jumping into everything from hosting game shows to lifting absurd weights for fun. But it wasn’t long before he found his new obsession: pickleball. Yup, pickleball. It started casually, playing with his brothers, who, by the way, team up with pros, and before anyone knew it, he was trash-talking Tom Brady over it.

It gave him that jolt of competitiveness without the NFL-level body slams. He was hooked. So, naturally, Gronk didn’t stop at just playing—he brought the whole party to South Boston. In April 2024, he helped throw a wild, feel-good event called “Pickleball for a Purpose.” It wasn’t just games and laughs (though there were plenty of both); it raised money for Dana-Farber, the Jimmy Fund, and his Gronk Nation Youth Foundation.

People paid to play with him, like, on the court. Long story short: it wasn’t just a match; it was Gronk turning sport into charity. Fast forward to now, and the four-time Super Bowl champion is back with Pickleball for a Purpose. This time, the event has been shifted from PKL in South Boston to Bosse (a new 21-court pickleball facility at the Natick Mall), Natick, Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, Gronk took to his official IG handle to announce the deadline to participate in Pickleball for a Purpose, scheduled for May 28th, 2025. “Hello, Jimmy Fund and Gronk Nation supporters. Do you want to play pickleball with me? Well, join me May 28th at Bosse, Natick, Massachusetts, and see if you can beat me. I don’t think so, but we’ll see,” Gronk shared in his IG story.

The event, in collaboration between Gronkowski’s Gronk Nation Youth Foundation and Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund, will take place from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, at Bosse. Well, you want to play pickleball side-by-side with the Patriots‘ legend? Get this: with only three weeks left to sign up for the event, folks can participate in the event to compete as teams of two or individually.

And here comes the interesting part. Five teams will play pickleball against Gronk and his friends, including the four highest fundraising teams, with one wild card entry. What’s the goal of this event, you ask? See, Jimmy Fund intends to support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s mission to provide patient care and cancer research. And Gronk’s crew, the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation?

They’re all about lifting kids—keeping them in school, active in sports, and connected to their communities. So yeah, it’s safe to say Rob Gronkowski’s Pickleball for a Purpose is a fun event with a big-time purpose. Plain and simple. Meanwhile, amidst his philanthropy work, Gronk may have announced his return—and we aren’t talking about the NFL.

Is Rob Gronkowski’s WWE return meant to be?

WWE and celebrities go together like spandex and body slams. Over the years, we’ve seen everyone from Mike Tyson to Bad Bunny jumping off ropes like it’s just another Tuesday. Even Logan Paul’s out there dodging super-kicks like he’s in a TikTok stunt reel. Most recently? Oh yeah, Travis Scott helped John Cena in winning his historic 17th World Championship at WrestleMania 41. And get this, Gronk is no stranger to making waves in WrestleMania as well.

During his first retirement, Gronk surely had a fun run in WWE in 2019-20. However, the NFL legend came out of retirement to join his former teammate, Tom Brady, on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Safe to say the tight end ended his WWE run to win another Super Bowl with Brady before announcing his final retirement in 2022. And now?

 When asked whether he wants to return to the WWE, Rob Gronkowski seemed open to coming back to the WWE. “I’m actually the longest tenured 24/7 champion of all time, actually, thanks to COVID, because no one could come and get the belt because no one could fly or do anything,” he said. “So, thank you, COVID, that was a true benefit. I’m not against going back to the WWE ever.”

“You know, maybe, possibly there’s something in the future. We’ll see. You know, I love the WWE, always have, since I was a kid, and if something happens in the future, great. So we’ll just see. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.” Though Gronk never had a proper matchup in WWE, let’s be real—he was indeed a solid guest for WrestleMania.

It’s still unclear when he will return to WWE. But one thing’s for sure: we’d all be pumped to see this party hunk back in the WWE ring, probably dancing, flexing, and body-slamming someone with a big ol’ Gronk grin.