It’s been an awesome comeback season for Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski, who returned to football after a one-year hiatus to reunite with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. Arguably the best player ever at the tight end position, Gronkowski posted 45 catches for 623 yards and seven touchdowns while contributing heavily as a standout blocker in 2020, and it sure doesn’t sound like he’s ready to walk away from the game or the Bucs anytime soon.

In an interview with former Patriots defensive end, now NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest, Gronkowski confirmed that he plans to return for the 2021 season as a member of the Buccaneers.

“Are you gonna saddle back up and come in for another year and play with Tom Brady and this team?” McGinest asked.

“Yeah, you gotta,” Gronkowski said. “I feel like this team was built to win right now, it was put together this year to win right now. It always pops up in your mind, you’re thinking about the future a little bit. I can definitely see this team have a lot of talent come back and having another successful run next year as well, with me.”

Until this point Gronkowski had been quiet on his future plans, although the expectation was that he would likely play at least one more season, probably in Tampa Bay. The 31-year old will be a free agent this offseason, but the Bucs appear to be in a position cap wise that they could bring him back at a lower rate than his current $9 million cap hit, especially considering Gronkowski has made it no secret that he doesn’t desire to be anywhere else next season