Sunday 26 April 2020 13:14, UK
Rob Gronkowski says playing with Tom Brady is special after returning to the NFL with the Tampa Bay Bucaneers.
Gronk had taken a year out of professional football, but felt the time was right to make his return alongside a quarterback who he knows so well.
The duo will reacquaint at the Raymond James Stadium, and if they're anywhere near as successful as they were in New England, Bucaneers fans are in for a treat.
Playing for Tom is special. He's one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
"I would have definitely looked at the opportunity [to go back to the Patriots if Brady was there]," he explained.
"At that moment when he was going through that free agent process, I was interested to see where he was going to go. That's his decision to make, I'm not a guy that's going to sit there and try to put pressure on him.
"Playing for Tom is special. He's one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. To build a connection with a quarterback, too, is something special. You've seen it many other times with many other players, they can switch teams and they might not have the same chemistry as they've had with one of their other quarterbacks.
"We have a great chemistry out there and every time we get together it's just like the old days. It doesn't matter if we take a month off or six months apart, we just go out there throwing the ball just like it's a normal practice. It just happened to be the right opportunity I feel down in Tampa.
"Tom is like the appetiser of the whole meal. He got me hooked when he went down to Tampa. I saw what was down there, just the opportunity to go down there and play with that type of offence. They've got some special wide receivers out there, they've got some other great tight ends. Let me tell you, I love working with tight ends too. So I'm definitely looking forward to that. Just blessed to have this opportunity.
"[Brady] just brings that fire to the table, there's no time when you're going to be out at practice where it's not going to be full go, where the intensity level is not going to be high. You're always going to be learning with Tom, he brings that passion to the game of football and that's what's special about him. These players on the Tampa Bay roster are going to feel that passion for the game of football."
After taking a year out from the sport, the 30-year-old now feels rejuvenated.
"I've said from the beginning that I want to come back unless I'm not feeling it, unless I'm not feeling good," he added.
"I'm feeling healthy and I feel like I'm ready to go. This is the time, it definitely wasn't last year. My body 100 per cent needed a rest. I played football for 15 years straight. College, high school, NFL and I was taking hits, surgeries, everything.
"My body 100 per cent needed a rest, I didn't have that fire underneath me but I knew I loved the game of football. I always have, that's why I've always played it. That's why I've had a nine year career with the New England Patriots.
I was feeling good, I wouldn't say I had no fire last year, even at the end of the season to come back, as the time rolled on the last couple weeks. I started really picking it up. My body started feeling good, my desire to play the game of football was coming back."
