Brian Daboll shuts down Giants Rob Gronkowski rumors

But it’s fun to fantasize anyway

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll responded on Monday to tight end Rob Gronkowski’s statement that New York is the only team that could get him out of retirement.

Appearing on the “Up and Adams” show last week, Gronkowski asserted that “Brian Daboll wants me on his roster. I know it.”

Gronkowski, 34, quickly clarified that he’s too “washed up” to actually make an NFL comeback. But that didn’t stop media members from approaching Daboll with the unlikely scenario on Monday morning.

Daboll said he still keeps in touch with Gronkowski, though they haven’t discussed a potential reunion.

“I’m close with Rob. I’ve got a lot of respect, admiration — coached him for four years,” Daboll said. “He’s a good friend. When you coach someone for four years and he’s a very productive player for you and really a good person, and we’re from the same town. Wouldn’t read too much into that.”

Daboll was Gronkowski’s tight ends coach with the New England Patriots from 2013 to 2016, the prime of the future Hall of Famer’s career. Gronkowski only played a full season in two of those years, but he finished with over 1,000 receiving yards and was named a first-team All-Pro in both of them. The Patriots won two Super Bowls in that span.

Gronkowski is also a New York native.

It’s incredibly unlikely that Gronkowski will be wearing a blue jersey any time soon, or any jersey for that matter. But the possibility of seeing him paired with fellow Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller is too tantalizing not to at least entertain. Gronk already unretired once — so who knows?

“Two tight ends can make an offense unstoppable,” Gronkowski said. “It’s rare. If you go back to the days where I had another tight end with me, it just makes the offense prolific and unstoppable — it gives you so many more options in the run game, and the pass game and play-action.”

Still, there would be something a bit twisted about seeing Tom Brady’s favorite target in a Giants uniform. The Giants, of course, beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, following the best statistical season of Gronkowski’s career. Gronkowski caught two passes in that game and hauled in 17 touchdowns during the regular season.

What do you think, Giants fans? Do you agree with Gronk’s claim that he’s too old to play in the NFL, or would you like to see him catching passes from Daniel Jones?