“You cannot tell a grown 45-year-old if he should be retired” – Rob Gronkowski hits back at Tom Brady’s critics

Following the 2021NFL season, quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowksi retired from the game. Brady returned to the Buccaneers after some time, but Gronkowski is a different matter. Gronkowski debated whether or not he would return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for another campaign. He ultimately decided to retire for good on June 21st, 2022.

Gronkowski recently appeared on Fox Sports. In a bizarre interview, he was asked questions and if the answer was yes, he would "like it." If the answer was no, he would "spike it."

Former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw asked Gronk if he thought Tom Brady should have stayed retired. Gronkowksi responded with the following:

"I'm gonna spike it, you cannot tell a a grown 45-year-old man if he should be retired or not, that's his decision and his decision only, spike it!"

While Rob Gronkowski doubtless has a point, many in the NFL world see it differently. Hindsight is always 20-20 and Brady's Buccaneers have not been dominant this season.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snapped their three-game losing by defeating the Los Angeles Rams

After starting the season 2-0, the Buccaneers went 2-5 over the course of their next seven games. They were most recently on a three-game skid before snapping it yesterday with a 16-13 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

The Buccaneers are now 4-5 and back in first place in the NFC South. Their lead on the South is tenuous at best, as they are tied with the Atlanta Falcons.

The three-game skid was the longest of Brady's entire career, and many thought they were witnessing the end of an era. Tampa Bay lost games to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, and the Green Bay Packers. With the vultures circling and the Buccaneers' season in jeopardy, Brady delivered a game-winning drive to silence his critics.

But those critics will not be silent for long. Tampa Bay will face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at 9:30 AM ET in the first ever NFL game in Germany. It will be interesting to see if Tom Brady can lead the Buccaneers to victory against a surprisingly in-form Seattle Seahawks. Seattle leads the NFC West with a 6-3 record.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Fox Sports and H/T Sportskeeda.