New England Patriots fans can circle 2021 home matchup vs. Buccaneers

With Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski switching sides from New England Patriots to Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2021 could give us a surreal regular-season matchup.

New England Patriots fans might have had this bad dream before — but somehow that dream has turned into a reality. Quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski will be playing for another team in 2020.

As practically none of us predicted, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the new home of arguably the two greatest Patriots to ever play the game. So as the dust begins to settle, there’s one major question for everyone in New England: will they play against Tampa Bay anytime soon?

Considering the odds of both teams making the Super Bowl next season are low, we have to look forward to the 2021 regular season as the potential homecoming game for the dynamic duo. Obviously a date and time have not been set yet but chances are the NFL will be determined to make the matchup a primetime spectacle.

Even if both stay healthy, which never can be guaranteed, the big unknown is that Gronkowski might decide to go back into retirement after this season. As of right now, Gronkowski only remains under contract for 2020 and who knows how his play will be impacted after a full year away from the game.

Brady could mull the retirement option too, but he will be under contract come the 2021 season. If anything, at least Brady returning to Foxborough for one last game looks to be on track.

What would a Brady-Gronkowski return to Gillette Stadium look like? Ticket prices would be higher than ever before, whirlwind media coverage would begin days, if not weeks before gameday, and the appropriate pregame ceremonies would bring back all of the unforgettable memories these two players have given the great people of New England.

We can only dream about how the game itself would play out, but one would expect Brady to be in the “business as usual” mindset by kickoff. Although Brett Favre returning to Lambeau Field as a rival Minnesota Viking in 2009 was memorable, would there be any homecoming more significant than Brady and maybe even Gronkowski to New England?

Well, we have to play the waiting game for a bit, but mark your calendars for 2021.