Rob Gronkowski wants to set the record straight, it seems.
The former New England Patriots tight end has alternately insisted he's not coming out of retirement and hinted he may come back at some point down the road.
But during Gronkowski's appearance Tuesday on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," a caller asked him point-blank to give a "yes" or "no" answer about returning to the Patriots. And he chose the latter.
"I'll give an answer," Gronkowski said. "When I retired, I retired for a reason: because I needed to step away. So it would be a no. There it is."
So, how to explain him leaving the door open for an NFL comeback and dropping occasional bread crumbs?
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"I never say no, because I've said no, and everyone's like, 'Yeah, he's kidding. He's coming back,' " Gronkowski said. "But it's a no. In my mind, that's how it is. It's a no."
The 30-year-old (ex) tight end, who made his FOX broadcast debut last week and also is a spokesman for a line of CBD-based medical products, also insisted he doesn't miss the game, even when his former team is playing.
"No, man. I'm very satisfied where I'm at," he said. "I say it all the time: I would have never left the game if I was going to be itching every single day. I've said that before, many times.
"I had those thoughts, too. 'Would I be missing it?' And I just knew that it needed to be done. I'm very satisfied where I'm at."
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