Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski is set to be a free agent in a few weeks. Tampa Bay would love to retain him, but that seems less likely now that Tom Brady has retired. The expectation has been that Gronkowski would likely retire now too. In fact, the future Hall of Famer told TMZ shortly after the season that he’d retire if forced to make a decision right then.

But fast forward a few weeks, and Gronkowski might be feeling invigorated. In a recent interview, Gronkowski said he would like to play with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, now that Brady is retired.

“I kinda like this young buck quarterback. He’s in the Super Bowl now: It’s Joe Burrow, man,” Gronkowski told Autograph NFTs on Tuesday, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I watched him in college. I just love the way he presents himself out on the football field. In the pocket, he’s just so calm and he just slings it out on the field. I just love his swag, too.”

Of course, Gronkowski is simply answering a question in this response. It doesn’t mean he’s ready to return or that he’ll seek to leave the Bucs. But if Gronkowski does want to play one more year, playing with Burrow makes a lot of sense. The Bengals star quarterback just reached his first Super Bowl in his second season. Burrow has lit it up statistically in one of the more talented offenses in the NFL. Gronkowski would get plenty of targets in Cincinnati, who could use more talent at tight end.

Gronkowski would also be a lot closer to Buffalo, his hometown. If the soon-to-be 33-year old wants to keep playing, he’ll have plenty of suitors. Perhaps Buffalo will be one of them. Gronkowski posted an outstanding 55 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns in 2021. He’s still capable of playing like a top five tight end in the NFL, if he desires to postpone retirement another year.