Gronk was open to Brady reunion even if QB stayed with Patriots

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Rob Gronkowski has officially reunited with Tom Brady as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he was apparently open to doing the same if the quarterback had stayed in New England.

The All-Pro tight end revealed Wednesday that he and Brady didn't discuss joining forces until about two months ago when they got together to throw the ball around.

"We had a little conversation. There was no pressure on either side," Gronkowski said.

"We rarely talked about what his decision was going to be, where I'm at, but we did talk about it for one second and I told him that, 'I'm kind of getting that fire underneath me again.' And I said, 'I'm definitely interested in your decision that you make.' I didn't put any pressure on him, but I said if there's a right opportunity out there and you go somewhere and that opportunity is right, even if you go back to the Patriots ... there's a possible chance that I will definitely love to reconnect.' And that's where the conversation started a little bit and he was all fired up and juiced up about it."

Brady opted to test free agency in March and then signed with Tampa Bay for two years at $25 million annually.

Gronkowski was also asked whether playing for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick wore on him, and if seeing Brady sign elsewhere inspired him to do the same. The tight end didn't deny the difficulties of adhering to "The Patriot Way."

"Coach (Belichick) says it all the time, he always says it, that it's not an easy place to play. I'm very thankful for the nine years that I had with the New England Patriots, hands down," Gronkowski said.

"I've learned so much under that organization. I've learned so much football from the best coach in all of football, coach Belichick. I'm not going to sit here and say it's an easy organization to play for and I also haven't played for another organization, I haven't even been down to Tampa yet, so I'm not even sure what to expect. But I know that the New England Patriots ... it is not the easiest place to play but it gets you right, it gets you mentally right, gets you physically right."

As for his current physical shape, the 30-year-old Gronkowski said he played his nine-year career at around 265 pounds and that he currently weighs 250.

"A lot of people out there think I've lost 40 pounds, lost 50 pounds," he said. "I'm 250 and I feel good, my body feels good."

After years of absorbing vicious hits and multiple surgeries, Gronkowski added that he needed the 2019 season off to heal.

"I've said it from the beginning, I wouldn't come back unless I'm feeling it, unless I'm feeling good, feeling healthy, and feeling like I'm ready to go," he said. "And now, this is the case, this is the time. It definitely wasn't last year. My body 100% needed a rest."

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