Is there actually smoke with Sean Payton, Rob Gronkowski and the Broncos?

The Denver Groncos?

Rob Gronkowski in orange and blue?

That’s the joke new head coach Sean Payton floated on Twitter over the weekend and live on-air during FOX’s Super Bowl pregame show. The future Hall of Fame tight end didn’t play during the 2022 season, and by all accounts appears to still be retired. But that isn’t stopping Payton from playfully (we think) recruiting him to Denver.

@Broncos @RobGronkowski @TomBrady @NFLonFOX
Let the recruitment begin! pic.twitter.com/2upP9h8qsx

— Sean Payton (@SeanPayton) February 11, 2023

Did we just catch @SeanPayton and @RobGronkowski on a hot mic? 🎙️😂

Watch #SuperBowlLVII on FOX and the FOX Sports App: https://t.co/KhaCw7GmJv 📺📱 pic.twitter.com/X4LLCOxOVr

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 12, 2023

The video is obviously a funny bit, but Payton at least convinced Gronkowski to play along.

“I’m picking the Broncos,” Gronkowski says, before Payton tells him they need a Super Bowl pick. Payton also reminds “Gronk” he has 92 career touchdowns and thinks he “can get him there” to 100. Payton offered Gronk a job, saying he wouldn’t even have to come to training camp.

Gronk recently told Jimmy Fallon that a few teams did call him this year, but it wasn’t the right fit or time. He said he legitimately thought about the offers, but didn’t really feel like committing to the grind of football.

My gut feeling on this is Gronk is just being Gronk, having fun and willing to get in on the joke. Payton on the other hand could be dead serious, and why not? Gronk is one of the best tight ends in NFL history and looks to still be in amazing physical shape. There’s no doubt he could help Denver and QB Russell Wilson in 2023.

If anything does happen, it wouldn’t be until late in the summer. Gronk wouldn’t be in a rush to go through all the offseason workouts, and Payton already told him that’s not part of the duties. But if Gronk does get the itch for an NFL return in 2023, the relationship he and Payton formed at FOX certainly couldn’t hurt.

And oh, by the way, his good buddy Tom Brady retired for a second time, so perhaps Gronk is open to the idea of playing with a new QB for the first time in his career? Just sayin’.

***

Related

Von Miller finds a team for 2026 seasonBroncos reserve QB Ehlinger: “I feel a lot different” than at this time last yearReport: Broncos linebacker broke his leg during win against FalconsBroncos get impact performances from a pair of rookies who leave a big impression‘You pee, you grab a banana’ — Sean Payton pulls back the curtain on play-callingSean Payton going viral after calling out Falcons fans during preseason opener