The sports world is buzzing about a report that Rob Gronkowski is eyeing a return to the NFL, but Ian Rapoport had a very blunt response to the news.
“Nope. Nonsense,” the NFL Network insider posted on X Tuesday afternoon.
Nope. Nonsense. https://t.co/3lKzrPKStB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 25, 2025
Rapoport retweeted the initial report, by Cecil Lammey of FootballGuys.com. In a video posted from Indianapolis, Lammey said, “Rob Gronkowski wants to return to the NFL. … he likes what’s he’s seen from Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and of course he has a relationship with [head coach] Sean Payton from their time working together at Fox Sports.”
Lammey also posted essentially the same information in a story on DenverSports.com, the site for 104.3 The Fan, adding that “Two of his brothers, Chris and Dan, both had short stints with the team over 10 years ago and I’ve heard the Gronkowski family loves the city and the team.”
Gronkowski will turn 36 in May and has not played since retiring (for the second time) from the NFL after the 2021 season. He seems content in his studio analyst role with Fox Sports.
Perhaps Lammey has some source within the Broncos organization sharing some inside news, but Rapoport is not buying the story. There were plenty of other skeptics on social media Tuesday afternoon, tossing around terms such as “ridiculous,” “misinformation” and “clickbait.” And those were just a few of the comments underneath Lammey’s original X post.
If you’re laying odds on this, the smart money would be with Rapoport, one of the most plugged-in reporters in pro sports.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.