Tight end Rob Gronkowski retires
After an illustrious career in the NFL spanning 11 seasons, including the previous two with the Buccaneers, tight end Rob Gronkowskiannounced his retirement. After accumulating four Super Bowl rings and compiling over 10,000 yards, Gronkowski is hanging up his cleats. Now, the clock starts on the esteemed tight end becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer and being immortalized in Canton for his contributions to the game of football.
Gronkowski played alongside Tom Brady for the duration of his 11-year NFL career, the first nine with the New England Patriots (2010-18). After three Super Bowl Championships with the Patriots, he briefly walked away from the game following the 2018 season after a myriad of injuries piled up. However, he chose to reunite with Brady in Tampa Bay when he signed with the club in 2020. The Bucs secured his rights after sending a fourth-round draft pick to the Patriots. During his two seasons with Tampa Bay, Gronkowski caught 100 passes for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns in 28 games, including two scores in Super Bowl LV. As arguably the greatest tight end who has ever played the game, Gronkowski cemented his legacy on the gridiron and his efforts will be recognized in the Hall of Fame.
Buccaneers release punter Bradley Pinion
On Wednesday, the Buccaneers released veteran punter Bradley Pinion, concluding his three-year career with the club. Pinion joined the Bucs as an unrestricted free agent in 2019 after spending the first four seasons of his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers. Pinion's departure was speculated, and his fate sealed as the Buccaneers' utilized a fourth-round pick on Jake Camarda back in April. Additionally, Tampa Bay also has second-year pro Sterling Hofrichter on the roster and Pinion's release opens a vacant spot on the roster. In his three seasons as a Buccaneer, Pinion averaged 43.6 yards per punt with a net of 39.1. Most notably, Pinion set a single-season record in 2019 with 88 kickoff touchbacks.
Buccaneers announce additional seating area named the Krewe's Nest
In response to a plethora of 2022 season passes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made a change. The club announced on Wednesday an additional seating area called the Krewe's Nest will be located in the south end zone at Raymond James Stadium. The section will provide 3,600 additional seats, upgrading the stadium's capacity to nearly 70,000 for the Buccaneers' highly-anticipated 2022 schedule. Along with discounted parking, Krewe's nest season pass holders will receive priority in 2022 playoff purchases, combined with the opportunity to upgrade seats for the 2023 season.
Training camp dates announced
In 2022 – featuring one of the toughest schedules in the league and several marquee headliners – the Buccaneers will venture on their quest for another Super Bowl title. The foundation for the future starts now during training camp, optimizing the chance at hoisting another Lombardi Trophy. On Thursday, the Buccaneers announced their 2022 training camp schedule at the AdventHealth Training Center.
Here is the complete list of practices:
- Wednesday, July 27: Sean Pass Members
- Thursday, July 28: Season Pass Members
- Friday, July 29: Stadium Club Members
- Saturday, July 30: Season Pass Members
- Monday, August 1: Military Day presented by USAA
- Tuesday, August 2: Season Pass Members
- Wednesday, August 3: Community Day
- Saturday, August 6: Stadium Club Members
- Sunday, August 7: Season Pass Members
- Tuesday, August 9: Women of Red Day at Training camp presented by AdventHealth
- Wednesday, August 10: Season Pass Members (joint practice with Miami Dolphins)
- Thursday, August 11: Season Pass Members (joint practice with Miami Dolphins)
In a similar format as the 2021 season, season pass members, luxury suite owners, Stadium Club members, seat holders and corporate partners will have access to practice in a first-come, prioritized status. The Bucs will kick off camp under the Florida sun on Wednesday, July 27, starting at 8:30 a.m., with Season Pass Members in the stands. All of the first 10 practices will commence at 8:30 in the morning and the final two, which are joint practices with the visiting Dolphins, will start at 10:00 a.m.
