Gronkowski believes Brady will return to NFL after a 'couple of years'

Count Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski among the group of people who believe quarterback Tom Brady will return to the NFL.

"The guy can play at any age," Gronkowski said, according to USA Today's Josh Peters. "If he's 50 years old, he can still come back. I think he's going to come back but in a couple of years. The guy's a beast. He can play anytime."

Brady, 44, announced his retirement from the sport on Feb. 1 after 22 seasons.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner hung up his cleats after leading the NFL with 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns while completing 485 of his 719 pass attempts.

However, Brady hinted at a possible comeback on the "Let's Go!" podcast earlier this week.

Perhaps no player in the NFL can better speak about taking time away from football than the future Hall of Fame tight end. Gronkowski won four Super Bowls as one of Brady's most reliable receiving targets.

Gronkowski initially retired from the NFL before the 2019 season but returned in 2020 to reunite with Brady in Tampa Bay.

The 32-year-old has tallied 100 receptions for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns since joining the Bucs. Over his 11-season career, Gronkowski has racked up 621 receptions for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns.

While Gronkowski has an idea of what Brady will do in the future, he's not ready to decide on his own career just yet.

"I'll figure all that out in the future," he said. "Let everything play out, then make a move."

Gronkowski is set to become a free agent after signing a one-year, $ 8-million contract last spring, per Spotrac.