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Report: 'You Can Count On' Rob Gronkowski Returning to Patriots In 2019

BOSTON (CBS) -- It's been over two months since Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL, and he keeps telling anyone who asks him that he's happy in his life away from football. He's made no comments that should lead people to believe that Gronk will make a comeback and catch passes for the Patriots in 2019.

Just this last weekend, Gronkowski said everyone can put the comeback conspiracy to rest.

"Whatever I say, it doesn't matter. It will always be crazy out there, but you can put them to rest," Gronkowski said after getting a haircut for at One Mission Buzz Off for Kids at Gillette Stadium.

So there you have it. End of story, right? Wrong. One report says Gronkowski will be rejoining the Patriots sometime during the upcoming season -- and it is no hunch. In his latest 10-Point Stance offering on Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman says you can count on Gronk returning during the 2019 season:

Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski made a public appearance recently and said he was done with football. What I can tell you is few people, including sources on the Patriots, believe that.

The belief is that once the season gets going, and Gronkowski starts missing football, he will rejoin the team. It's not just a hunch, sources say; you can count on it.

Count on it, folks.

The Patriots could certainly use some more help at tight end, with Ben Watson suspended for the first four games of the season and Austin Seferian-Jenkins being released on Tuesday. New England currently has Watson, Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, Andrew Beck and Ryan Izzo making up their tight end depth chart.

But Gronk has made it clear that he is very much retired any chance he's received, and until we actually see him in pads, it's safe to assume he won't be making a return this season.

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