Rob Gronkowski, a former player for the New England Patriots, thinks that if LeBron James had chosen football over basketball, he would have been an incredible NFL player. But Gronkowski didn’t stop there and made a statement that King James can still succeed, just in case the Los Angeles Lakers star decides to change his mind.
James’ NFL prospects were discussed by Gronkowski and former Patriots teammate Julian Edelman during his most recent appearance on the Games with Names podcast. Gronkowski concurred with Edelman’s observation that LeBron would have been a “monster” in the professional football scene.
What did Gronkowski say?
Gronkowski said, “LeBron would have been an absolute monster on the football field. I can kind of see him being like the hybrid F tight end. He’s just so tall, but he’s got the athleticism to pull off the F position. I don’t see him being a true wide [receiver]. I wished he tried out for the NFL.”
The four-time Super Bowl champion also brought up the contract that James was offered in 2011 during the NBA lockout by Pete Carroll, the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks at the time. Gronk is certain that James’ football skills would have carried over to the professional ranks after watching his high school highlight reel.
Gronkowski added, “I think Coach (Pete) Carroll offered him a roster spot up in Seattle. I just was hoping to see that happen. I just wanted to see his athleticism translate to the football field because I see his highlights, his high school highlights, and the guy’s just an absolute beast.”
Too late for James to change his sport
But at 39 years old, LeBron James is well past the age at which his body would permit him to switch sports. Rob Gronkowski nevertheless persisted in trying to convince James to try the NFL one last time, even at this juncture in his life and sporting career. “There is still time!!” Gronk tagged LeBron in a post on X, the former Twitter platform.
It’s entertaining to speculate about what would have happened to LeBron’s career if he had chosen football over basketball.
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