Many thought it was a foregone conclusion that Rob Gronkowski would be on the first bus (or jet) back to One Buc Place after Tom Brady announced his return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a few weeks ago.

And for good reason. Brady convinced the former Patriots and Buccaneers tight end came out of retirement to come out of retirement and the two have now played in Tampa Bay for two straight years. So there should be no issue when it comes to running it back for Year 3 with the Bucs, right?

Not so much. We've now entered April and Gronk is still a free agent.

His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, offered an update on Gronkowski's thoughts a little while ago. At the time, Gronk was still undecided about playing for the Buccaneers – or any other team, for that matter.

Nearly two weeks later, Gronkowski is essentially echoing Rosenhaus' statement.

Rob Gronkowski sat down with TMZ for an interview and was asked about a recent camp he took part in with Tom Brady. It was your typical throw-and-catch-type camp, however, Gronkowski made sure he was very clear about one specific detail.

"That's why I wasn't catching – I was throwing the passes," Gronkowski said, making it clear he wasn't on the receiving end of things. "Because I knew if I started catching some passes that my head would've started turning like, 'Oh crap man, I gotta get back out on the field and play'."

And that's when Gronkowski revealed that he is currently uncommitted to playing football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or any other team, for that matter.

"And right now, I'm not ready to get back out on that field and play," said Gronk. "I'm not ready to commit to the game of football, right now. I'm just enjoying my time off. In order to play the game of football you literally have to be 100% dedicated, week-in and week-out, because it's a grind, man. … I'm not ready to do that, yet. I'm not gonna sign a contract unless I'm fully ready."

Kudos to Gronk for being honest and self-aware. He knows he's about to be 33-years-old and he's fully aware of the injuries he's encountered over his career. His most recent injury consisted of cracked ribs and a punctured lung he suffered during the Buccaneers' 34-24 loss to the Rams back in Week 3 of the 2021 season. Gronkowski wound up missing five games due to the injury. It's important to be careful and to make sure his body is ready for another season.

But there's one thing that will give Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans hope and that's Gronk's usage of the phrase "right now" and the word "yet" in his interview response. He says he's not ready to commit "right now" and he's not ready to dedicate himself to the grind "yet".

Those words leave the door open for a return, just like the Bucs left a light on for Brady.

It's safe to assume they're leaving the light on for Gronk, too.

You can check out Gronk's full interview with TMZ, here.

Featured image via Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports