Gronkowski on coming back this season: 'It would be a no'

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was asked again whether or not he plans to end retirement and come back to the field this season, and reiterated that he has no plans to resume his career this year.

"When I retired, I retired for a reason. It would be a no. There it is," Gronkowski said Tuesday during an appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show." "But I never say no, because I said no and everyone said, 'He's kidding.' It's a no. In my mind, that's how it is - a no."

The 30-year-old, who recently joined FOX Sports as an NFL analyst, also explained his current situation off the field and what it would take for him to eventually make a comeback.

"I would have to be feeling it. ... I'm enjoying myself right now. I don't have that itch, and if I had that itch, I'd go back. ... It would have to be a continuous itch," he said.

"I see Tom (Brady) throw a nice touchdown pass, I'm like, 'I wish that was me.' But that's a five-second itch. It has to be a long, continuous itch, like every day, every week."

A three-time Super Bowl champion, Gronkowski has yet to officially file his retirement papers, which gave the Patriots organization some hope that the future Hall of Famer could rejoin his former team at some point in 2019.

Meanwhile, New England reportedly signed former New York Jets tight end Eric Tomlinson on Tuesday. Patriots tight ends have combined for nine catches, 169 receiving yards, and a touchdown after six weeks.

Copyright (C) 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.