Gronkowski has already taken a physical in Boston, and while he's awaiting the official results, the tight end reportedly feels that he'll pass it "with flying colors," Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Assuming no unexpected snags with his physical, the deal sending Gronkowski and a seventh-round draft pick to the Buccaneers in exchange for a fourth-rounder will soon become official. Once it is, he'll join a tight end corps that already includes O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, though even prior to Tuesday's news, there were rumors about Howard potentially being on the move. Gronkowski, who turns 31 next month, last played in the NFL in 2018, but the year away from the game could well benefit him, considering the pounding his body took during his nine seasons with the Patriots. Now that he's about to be reunited with QB Tom Brady, Gronkowski re-enters the fantasy realm as a player who could return to elite status at his position, assuming he can avoid injuries in 2020.

The Patriots have agreed to trade Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick to the Buccaneers for a fourth-round selection, pending a physical, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Gronkowski to Tampa Bay went from rumor to reality quickly. According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Gronkowski informed him that he's already taken a physical with the Buccaneers, meaning this deal may be official in short order. Gronkowski will rejoin former teammate Tom Brady to provide another threat to an offense that was explosive before his arrival.

The Patriots and Buccaneers have reportedly been discussing a possible trade involving Gronkowski, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

EDGE Analysis

Though Gronkowski is currently retired, the Patriots hold his playing rights. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the tight end has been putting on weight with an eye toward returning to the NFL, specifically in order to play with QB Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. Rapoport adds that a deal could potentially happen before Thursday's draft.

Gronkowski said "you never know" when he was asked about coming out of retirement on TSN.ca relays via Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "I'm feeling good right now," Gronkowski said. "I'm happy where I'm at, and you just never know, man... I'm not totally done. I like to stay in shape, but I've got to get that feeling back."

EDGE Analysis

Gronkowski hasn't directly addressed rumors that he might emerge from retirement to join Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, but the 30-year-old did acknowledge that he could resume playing football at some point. On the other hand, Gronkowski has stayed busy since he left the Patriots after the 2018 campaign, with his recent work including a WWE 24/7 championship belt. Meanwhile, Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard has also been the subject of rumors, with Michael Lombardi of The Athletic (via Greg Auman) reporting that Howard is on the trade block, potentially creating an opening for Gronkowski to reunite with Brady.

Gronkowski is not eligible to return to action this season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

This expected outcome became official Saturday afternoon, at which time the deadline for Gronkowski's potential reinstatement in 2019 passed. Per the report, the tight end will next be eligible to consider resuming his playing career following the Super Bowl. With that, Ben Watson and Matt LaCosse will continue to head the Patriots' tight end corps.

Gronkowski said Tuesday that he has no plans to play football in 2019, but he hasn't ruled out a return to the NFL at some point in the future, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports. "I wouldn't say never coming back,'" Gronkowski said. "I'm 30 years old. I'm young. I still stay fit, still watch the game whenever I can, still enjoy it. I'm feeling good, but you know, one year off could possibly be the case. Or maybe two years off."

EDGE Analysis

Gronkowski announced his retirement in March, but given his relative youth and the fact that he was still playing at a high level in 2018, rumors have popped up intermittently in the ensuing months that he could resume his career. If the tight end intended to play in 2019, Reiss notes that Gronkowski would have to inform the NFL by Nov. 30, making it fairly safe to conclude that he'll be taking the entire season off. Expect more rumors regarding Gronkowski's plans for 2020 to surface throughout the upcoming offseason.

Though Gronkowski has previously indicated he doesn't have plans to resume his playing career, during a pre-game interview on NFL Network Thursday night, Patriots owner Robert Kraft expressed his hope that the tight end might reconsider that stance, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

EDGE Analysis

Meanwhile, Gronkowski -- who has yet to file his retirement papers, per Kraft -- made his debut Thursday night as a FOX Sports analyst. When asked about Kraft's comments and the possibility of embarking on a comeback at some point, Gronkowski replied, "I would have to be feeling it, feeling it big-time to come back. It's always going to be open in my mind...I love the game of football. I love playing the game. I love being around the game. I even love watching the game of football now." While Gronkowski doesn't seem close to changing his mind at this stage, the fact that he's not entirely closing the door to that idea could make it tempting for those in leagues with ample roster space/flexibility to consider stashing the tight end. That said, such a move would be speculative and require an acknowledgement that it's still something of a longshot Gronkowski returns to the 6-0 Patriots in time to make a fantasy impact in 2019.

Gronkowski has accepted a broadcasting position with Fox Sports as an NFL analyst, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

The new role adds further fuel to the notion that Gronkowski isn't planning to resume his playing career, though at 30 years old, he still has plenty of time to revisit a comeback at some point down the road. Gronkowski will make his debut for Fox this week as part of Thursday Night Football, when his former Patriots squad will be matching up with the Giants.

Gronkowski noted Tuesday that "for the first time in more than a decade, (he is) pain-free," Kevin Duffy of the Boston Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

The tight end, who announced his retirement in March, also detailed a painful quad injury that he suffered in Super Bowl LIII, which troubled him in the month following the Patriots' victory in that contest. The 30-year-old added that his decision to call it quits was based on both a desire to give his body a break, as well as an acknowledgement that he had started to lose his zest for the game. At this point, Gronkowski has no plans to resume his playing career, but he seems to have left the door open to that possibility down the road. "If I have the desire to play football again, if I feel passionate about football again, if I'm feeling like I need to be out there on the field, I will go back to football," Gronkowski said Tuesday. "But as of right now, that is not the case. It could be the case in six months. It could be the case in two years. It could be the case in three years. It could be the case in three months. But I truly don't see it in the foreseeable future - in, like, a week or a month. No. I want to do a different chapter of my life right now." The open-ended nature of his comments Tuesday could make it tempting for those in leagues with plenty of roster space/flexibility to consider stashing Gronkowski, but such a move would require patience along with an acknowledgement that it's still something of a longshot the tight end returns in time to make a fantasy splash in 2019.

Gronkowski, who spent much of his NFL career in the 265-270 pound range, noted earlier this month that he's down to 250 pounds, Andrew Callahan of masslive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The report indicates that the tight end, who is currently retired, hasn't been lifting weights of late and that's resulted in Gronkowski quickly trimming down since last season. Despite the noticeable change in his physique, speculation continues to swirl that Gronkowski could still elect to come out of retirement at some point down the road. With that in mind, Scott Zolak, co-host of 98.5 The Sports Hub, suggests that a midseason return (at which point Gronkowski would need some time to get himself into football shape) might be the most plausible scenario in such a case. While Gronkowski currently seems committed to staying away from the game, it's conceivable that he could miss playing enough to at least contemplate a comeback. For now, however, anything along those lines is pure speculation, with CSN New England relaying that Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio pegs the chances of a Gronkowski return at 40 percent.