Back in 2023, anticipations were everywhere about where Sean Payton would land as the head coach after his one-year stint with FOX. His fellow broadcaster Rob Gronkowski had a pointed answer to that. The former Patriots tight end thought that Denver was the place for Payton. “He’s going to inherit a well-coached defense, a team that have only lost a couple games by I don’t know, within a touchdown, majority of their games. So he’s got a great offensive mind as well so he can turn up that offensive side of the Broncos,” Gronkowski had said. Days after this, the Broncos, on February 3, 2023, announced Payton to become their head coach. And what did Payton do after that?

Within a week after joining the Broncos, Payton created quite a ripple with an X post. He posted a photo of a Broncos shirt with the “B” crossed out and replaced with a “G,” spelling “Groncos.” Payton even tagged Rob Gronkowski in his tweet. “Let the recruitment begin!” Payton captioned the post, also tagging Tom Brady, the Broncos and the NFL on Fox. Gronkowski, who retired after the 2021 season, worked alongside Payton on FOX as an analyst in 2022 and Brady was to join the network in 2024.

But relax, that was purely a joke. Fox’s Super Bowl coverage seemingly confirmed it was a setup for a skit. During the NFL on Fox pregame show before Super Bowl LVII, the studio crew sent the camera out to Payton and Gronkowski in the tunnel. “I got a job at the Broncos for ya,” Payton said. “No training camp. You’re eight touchdowns shy of 100 touchdowns. I think I can get you that. And I might be able to talk to the Walton-Penner family about calling us the Denver Groncos.” But is a possibility really there? If rumors are to be believed, Rob Gronkowski might be uttering his famous catchphrase “Yo soy fiesta!”

Cecil Lammey recently took to X to share something very interesting with the fans: “League sources tell me 4X Super Bowl champion TE Rob Gronkowski is considering a return to the NFL. He worked with Sean Payton at Fox & I’m told he loves Denver & QB Bo Nix. (2 of his brothers, Dan and Chris, had short stints with the team).” Wow!! Just imagine if this really happens. Could we really see Gronk suit up in orange and blue for one last ride?

The Broncos are entering a new era with rookie quarterback Bo Nix, whom Gronk is said to be high on. Additionally, his family has ties to the organization—two of his brothers, Dan and Chris, had short stints with the team in the past. Well, while it looks good, nothing is confirmed with Gronk.

The Pats legend has flirted with comeback talk before, and it remains to be seen if he’ll actually take the field again. But with the connections in place and the excitement building, this time, the speculation feels different. Meanwhile, counter-claims have already started dropping in. It didn’t take long for renowned insiders like NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado to quickly shoot down the rumor.

“Nope,” Rapoport stated in a direct reply to Lammey’s post on X (formerly known as Twitter), before calling the Gronk-Denver noise “nonsense.” On the other hand, Allbright spoke to Broncos general manager George Paton, about the chatter, who effectively ended the pipe dream by making light of the situation.

“We just signed him, actually, in my room,” Paton jokingly told Allbright before adding, “I just heard that on my way over here. That’s pretty cool he wants to be a Bronco.” Well, while it will be amazing for the Broncos to get Gronk back in any capacity, right now it seems like they will be losing a defensive player.

NFL’s Matt Okada made a list of potential roster cuts in the AFC and Broncos DL John Franklin-Myers was on that. It really would come as a shock if that happens, as Okada himself stated it’s “not a necessary move.” Myers carries a $10 million cap hit in 2025, and well, that might play a role in the final decision. For now, we will need to wait and see what happens.

Whether Gronk truly makes a comeback or not, the speculation alone has fans buzzing. But as the Broncos potentially eye an addition, they may also face a key loss on defense with John Franklin-Myers’ future uncertain. Will Denver gain a legendary tight end while losing a crucial defender?

Robert Gronkowski hinted at a return to the NFL

Rob Gronkowski has done it before—retiring in 2018, only to return in 2020, join Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, and win another Super Bowl. Could he pull off another comeback? Well, if his recent comments are anything to go by, it’s definitely on his mind.

On the Dudes on Dudes podcast, Gronk dropped an interesting hint about his future: “I was talking to my brother, actually, yesterday, and I told him, ‘Hey, I might as well go back to football, because I’m grinding harder than I ever grinded before, and I’m not even playing football.’ So like, I might as well go back, because playing ball would be easier than what I’ve been doing over the last six months.”

That’s classic Gronk—half-joking, half-serious, but always leaving the door open. His competitive fire clearly hasn’t faded, and if he truly believes football would be “easier” than his current grind, a return isn’t out of the question. Gronk has surprised us before, and he might just do it again. With ties to Denver, admiration for Sean Payton, and a lingering love for the game, a return isn’t out of the question. Will he actually suit up for one last ride, or is this just another classic Gronk tease? Only time will tell.