Rob Gronkowski is healthier than he's been in a decade, but the retired New England Patriots tight end isn't pondering a comeback, yet.
Gronk, unveiled as a spokesperson for a CBD oil company Tuesday, said he's not planning to return to the NFL for "the foreseeable future," per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
"Maybe down the road. I have to have that passion," Gronk added. "I have to have the fire. I'm not going to go out there and be beat the (expletive) up. That's not the way to live."
Gronk said he's "enjoying life" outside of football and is finally pain-free, noting the quad injury suffered during the Super Bowl convinced him he should walk away from the NFL.
"I needed to recover. I was not in a good place. Football was bringing me down," he said, via NFL Network's Mike Giardi.
Gronk said he is advocating for CBD oil usage, one of the NFL's banned substances, to help all athletes deal with pain.
"I'm here to appeal to the sports governing bodies to update their positions on CBD (so it can be) used by all players," he said. "...For the first time in a decade, I'm pain-free."
Following Andrew Luck's stunning retirement this weekend citing a litany of injury issues, Gronkowski said he understands what the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback is going through.
"My only tip to him, I feel his pain. I feel where he's at, and go out there, search for what you need to search for to get you back to that level, because it's attainable and it's possible," he said of what he'd say to Luck.
Gronk, who visibly lost weight this offseason, noted that he's not in a mental space to consider any NFL return soon.
"Physically, I could play right now, but mentally, it's not there," he said.
So long as Gronk doesn't slam shut the possibility to a return down the road, speculation will continue to swirl that he might, one day, change his mind.
