Rob Gronkowski believes recently retired former teammate Julian Edelman will follow his and Tom Brady's path from New England to Tampa Bay.

TMZ shared a video of Gronkowski at LAX Monday (April 11) and asked the four-time Super Bowl champion of the chances Edelman could join him and Brady as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season.

“69 percent chance,” Gronkowski responded, referencing his favorite number.

The tight end was then asked why that number specifically.

“You asked if there’s a chance. I gave you a number,” Gronkowski said. "He'll be back."

The two players were teammates with the New England Patriots for nine of the wide receiver's 12 NFL seasons before Gronkowski initially announced his retirement a month after after the Patriots' last Super Bowl victory in 2019, before announcing his return to football and having his rights traded by the Patriots to the Buccaneers in April 2020.

Many speculated Edelman could follow a similar path when it was initially announced that he was released from his Patriots contract, but the wide receiver has since confirmed his decision to retire.

Edelman shared a video of himself on the field of Gillette Stadium announcing his decision on Monday (April 12) afternoon following reports that the Patriots released him from his contract after a failed physical.

"It was a hard decision, but the right decision for me and my family," Edelman said. "And I'm honored and so proud to be retiring a Patriot. ... It's been the best 12 years of my life."

Edelman has spent his entire 12-year NFL career with the Patriots and ranks second in franchise history for career receptions (620), fourth in receiving yards (6,822) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (36.)

“Julian was the ultimate competitor, man,” Gronkowski said. “Nothing but huge props to Julian man, he was a great teammate. … You’ve got to give it to Jules, he gave it his all his whole career and he was a wonderful teammate. I had a lot of good times with him, and he’s going to keep on thriving.”

Photo: Getty Images

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