The New England Patriots still have no clue about whether Rob Gronkowski is playing in 2019 or not.

Here we go again with the potential retirement rumors regarding Rob Gronkowski. Last season, the big tight end who is known as ‘Gronk,’ had the Patriots on the edge of their seats. He was unsure about whether he wanted to retire or not. Although he’s only 29-years-old, Gronk has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career, which has put a ton of miles on his body.

The injuries aren’t the only thing that could possibly take Gronk away from the game. He’s also got an acting, and maybe even wrestling career waiting for him outside of football. Two career paths that Gronk could quickly go down without having to worry about pissing off his ‘so-serious’ employers, the New England Patriots.

Last year, Gronk was rumored to be ready to hang it up already. Even after the Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Honestly, that defeat might’ve motivated Gronk to come back for more as he wouldn’t want to go out as a runner-up for the Lombardi. So Gronk came back, and he won another one in 2019. Now, he’s once again undecided on playing in 2019.

Are the Patriots in another dilemma?

When the Patriots were dealing with the uncertainty of Gronkowski last season, they were in trade discussions regarding the veteran tight end. At one point, there was a serious chance that Gronkowski was going to be headed to Detroit to play with the Lions. Once he found out that information though, he made sure the trade fell through.

Now, the Patriots know they most likely cannot trade Gronk, so they are out in Free Agency trying to replace him before they are left without a true, number one tight end before training camp. According to The Score, the Patriots were aggressively trying to sign Jared Cook, who was the top tight end available.

Unfortunately, the Patriots failed to do so, as he eventually landed with the New Orleans Saints. Cook knew that he was the top prospect available, and would be a clear-cut starter on any team. So signing with New England would make little sense since there’s a chance Gronkowski could be back.

Apparently, Cook’s decision to avoid New England had everything to do with Gronk’s potential return. Right now, the veteran tight end is playing games with everybody’s minds, the Patriots included. But the team can’t bank on the idea of Gronk returning. They have to figure out a solution before it’s too late.