Rob Gronkowski says “If I had to pick a quarterback, it’d be the young buck, Joe Burrow”

Might we see Rob Gronkowski spiking balls in the end zones of Paul Brown Stadium for the Cincinnati Bengals next season? If nothing else, it’s something Gronk would be open to.

Excluding the first four games of the 2016 season, Tom Brady has been the starting quarterback for every game of Gronkowski’s career. But Brady is retired—at least for now. At a question and answer session on Tuesday, Gronk was asked who he’d like to catch passes from in 2022 if he returns. In his answer, the tight end made it clear that he’s a fan of Joe Burrow.

“I kinda like this young buck quarterback. He’s in the Super Bowl now: It’s Joe Burrow, man,” Gronkowski said, per Chris Mason of Masslive.com. “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. If I had to pick a quarterback, it’d be the young buck, Joe Burrow,” Gronk added “He’s killing it right now in the game.”

The next question is, would Gronk going to the Bengals make sense?

During the 2021 season, Gronk caught 55 passes for 802 yards with six touchdowns. Cincinnati’s most productive tight end, C.J. Uzomah, caught 49 passes for 493 yards with five touchdowns. Gronk probably won’t ever match his prime production again, but he’d still be an upgrade for the Bengals at the position.

The Bengals also have the salary-cap space needed to afford Gronk. So, this is something that could happen.

Gronk isn’t yet sure if he’s going to return in 2022. But if he does, it feels like the Bengals are a likely destination for the future Hall of Famer.

[Masslive.com; photo from Matt Pendleton/USA Today Sports]