Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It was love at first sight for Rob Gronkowski and his new Tampa Bay Buccaneers unis ... with the superstar giving his threads a big ol' kiss after getting his hands on 'em for the first time.

It's been a rough week for New England fans -- first, the Bucs showed off their new quarterback, Tom Brady, in a non-Patriots jersey for the first time in 20 YEARS.

It was Gronk's turn on Thursday ... with the tight end donning his new uniform, which continues to pile on the pain for Pats Nation.

The Bucs shared video of the moment Gronk saw his threads in person for the first time ... and the dude fell head-over-heels.

"That is beautiful," Gronk says ... "Wow, that's real nice."

Of course, Gronk retired after the 2018 season ... but is making a comeback with his boy, TB12, in Tampa.

But, Gronk won't get back to business without one final party -- he's hosting a VIRTUAL bash with his buddy Shaquille O'Neal to raise money for the NAACP and the Boys And Girls Club.

Gronk and Shaq are planning to face off in a bunch of challenges -- including a dance-off -- with special guests DaBaby, Diplo, Carnage and more ... so yeah, it's a party.

Tompa Bay is officially HERE!!!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released the first pics of Tom Brady in his new threads ... and the dude looks good.

It's going to take some time to get used to seeing TB12 in new colors -- after all, he spent 20 years in New England -- but now that we know what it looks like, we can finally start adjusting.

The Bucs have been hyping up the big reveal on social media ... and Brady finally decided to show the world what he looks like in red and pewter on Tuesday.

TB12 dodged a bullet, though ... with the Bucs deciding to go back to a more traditional look just in time for the legend's arrival.

Remember, #12 used to be occupied by star receiver Chris Godwin ... who willingly handed Brady his beloved digits for FREE!!

Let reality sink in, Pats fans. Your 6-time champ is gone.

Rob Gronkowski and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are stepping up BIG for a local high school's football program ... joining forces to replace the team's equipment and storage shed after a tragic fire.

A blaze broke out on Blake High School's campus in Tampa last month ... with an estimated $15k-worth of supplies destroyed, according to tampabay.com.

The team said it would be nearly impossible to replace all the equipment in time to prepare for the 2020 season ... saying it simply isn't in the school's budget.

But, there's GREAT news for the Yellow Jackets -- the 31-year-old tight end and the Bucs are teaming up to get the program back on its feet ... with Gronk announcing their decision to help out in a WWE promo-style video on Instagram.

"Hey everyone, last week we heard about an unfortunate incident in Tampa where a fire burned down a high school storage shed full of their team's football equipment," Gronk says in the vid. "Sadly, they lost it all."

"Well, the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation and my new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are all about helping youth reach their full potential."

"So, we're gonna do just that. To the Blake High School Yellow Jackets, you're getting a brand new storage unit and new football equipment to replace everything that was lost."

Gronk gives the team a bit of encouragement ... and even hints he may hit up a practice with his Bucs teammates.

IT'S ALL OVER, BABY!!!

Rob Gronkowski's run as WWE's 24/7 champion came to a screeching halt on Monday -- when he was pinned by R-Truth while shooting a TikTok video.

Yep, that's a real sentence.

Gronk -- who won the belt at WrestleMania 36 back in April -- has since unretired from football and signed a contract with the Tampa bay Buccaneers. So, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before someone else took his WWE belt.

And, that time came on "Raw" ... while Gronk and his pal Goon began to shoot their TikTok, R-Truth was waiting in the yard while disguised as a gardener.

Suddenly, Goon unzipped his shirt -- revealing an official WWE referee uniform -- and R-Truth came firing in for a surprise pin.

1, 2, 3 -- it's over!!!

"You gotta be serious man," Goon said after he counted Gronk out ... "You got a new career starting! You're with the Bucs now!"

As for R-Truth ... this is the 36th time he's won the 24/7 belt!!!

Wanna ride like the G.O.A.T.? Here's ya chance!

Tom Brady is parting ways with his tricked out Cadillac Escalade -- which is so luxurious, the inside looks like a private jet!

The whip is a super modified 2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV Edition -- which was customized by the folks at Becker Automotive Design in Oxnard, CA.

According to TB12 himself, he picked out "all the customizations of the ESV; from the trim of the seats to the color of the rug."

The big changes he made have to do with the size of the SUV -- it was stretched by 20 inches and the roof was raised by 5 inches.

And, just to make sure everything looks proportionally correct, the rear doors were also expanded by 10 inches.

Why make it bigger? Tom says he needed the room for his custom VIP reclining seats, private jet-like folding tables and a 32-inch HD LCD screen ... plus a 12-inch screen in the back!

Tom says all of the changes were made with one thing in mind -- giving him more time to focus on football.

"With such limited time in my busy schedule the ESV gave me those extra minutes to study my play book, make phone calls and be with my family," Tom says in the listing.

"Immediately my productivity went up and my stress came down."

According to the listing, the SUV is also equipped with "a high end mobile Internet router that allows for multiple service providers, ensuring the very best connectivity on the road."

B.A.D. says the price of the car when new is $350k -- but Tom will let it go for $300k or the best offer ... noting that it's a "collector's car."

Could it actually go for more? Maybe! TB12 memorabilia is hot these days!

Skinny Gronk is no more ...

The future Hall of Fame tight end says he's gained back the 20-or-so pounds he lost after his Patriots retirement ... joking he's "four more protein shakes away from being at my playing weight."

Rob quit the game back in March 2019 ... and almost immediately dropped down to around 240 pounds, causing everyone to wonder if he was really done with the game for good.

"It felt good just to drop that weight," Gronk told CBS Sports HQ on Wednesday. "You know, ease up my joints, let my body free. I kind of felt like that weight was bloated weight, too. So, it felt good to get rid of it."

But, after agreeing to reunite with Tom Brady last month ... he's already bulked back up, saying he only needs a couple more lbs to be NFL-ready.

"I'm about 257 pounds right now," Rob says ... "I'm excited about that. I'll definitely be at my weight when it's time to go. I'll be at 260 to 265 when it's time to roll."

As for how the weight changes will affect Rob -- who says he hadn't previously been under 260 since his senior of HS -- he's confident the cutting and bulking won't spell disaster in a return to the gridiron.

"It's time to build back upon it," Gronk said. "Put lean muscle on my body and get ready for the NFL season like I never have before."

Music to TB12's ears!!!

IT'S HAPPENING!!!

Tom Brady took the field for drills with his Buccaneers teammates for the first time (at least publicly) Tuesday ... and it's weird as hell seeing the guy in a bright orange uni!!

Check out a pic of the new TB QB during the workout -- which took place at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, FL -- he was the only one in shoulder pads and an orange jersey.

Brady also rocked his new Bucs helmet during the sesh ... and according to the Tampa Bay Times -- the 7 AM ET workout featured around eight of the QB's new teammates.

The drills lasted for about two hours, the Times reported ... and concluded with some convos in the stands.

And, no, Brady and the Bucs didn't violate any NFL rules ... the league said in a statement to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero the workout is all good in their books.

Of course, that's a welcoming feeling for Tom -- remember, he was booted from a closed park for working out there just a few weeks ago!

Tom's been able to switch things up ... getting some runs in at his rented Tampa mansion -- but with Florida lifting stay-at-home orders recently, seems Tom's in the clear to throw with teammates now.

Tom Brady just SNAPPED over a report he had beef with Josh McDaniels in New England ... calling the whole thing "nonsense" and pleading with journalists to "be more responsible."

Brady is alleged to have left New England for Tampa, in part, because of a "deteriorating relationship" with McDaniels, this according to longtime NFL reporter Gary Myers.

Myers claimed per an "excellent source" that TB12 was "worn out" from playing under Josh the past decade-plus ... and wanted a change of scenery.

But, Brady went scorched earth on that notion Monday ... writing on social media, "Please stop this nonsense!"

"Please be more responsible with reporting," the QB added. "19 years together and brothers for life."

McDaniels has held some sort of role on the Patriots staff for all but 3 years since 2001 ... and has been Brady's offensive coordinator for most of those seasons.

And, Tom's sure making it known he didn't hate the guy when he finally broke away from the Pats in March.

James Harrison might be the only man in America who wasn't surprised to see Rob Gronkowski return to the NFL -- he tells TMZ Sports he knew a Gronk comeback was in the works since at least November!!!

The former Steelers star says he and the future Hall of Fame tight end filmed a TV ad together more than six months ago ... and he could tell then Rob was gearing up to play again.

"I knew then that he was going to come back," Harrison says. "He was talking about it. He was itching then. He was feeling a lot better."

Harrison says taking 2019 off allowed Rob's body to heal up ... so Harrison could see the writing for a return on the wall.

But, James admits he NEVER saw Tampa Bay coming ... "because of course Tom [Brady] wasn’t there at the time, but once he got there it was like, 'Yeah, it makes sense.'"

As for Tom's departure from New England ... James says he WAS surprised to see his former teammate leave the Pats!!!

By the way, James is finding success in life after football ... he's set to have a role on Starz's new wrestling drama "Heels" -- and he says it's got him thinking about a possible WWE future!

Rob Gronkowski better WATCH OUT ... 'cause Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians says he's got his eyes on the WWE 24/7 belt ... so he better keep his head on a swivel!!!

Of course, Gronk feared this exact scenario last week ... saying he had to defend his shiny, new belt from everyone at all times -- even at the Bucs facility.

"Imagine coming out of the meeting room, I'm like looking to my left down the hallway ... looking to my right to make sure no one is out of the meetings yet, and then all of a sudden ... Coach Arians just comes out of nowhere with a flying elbow and takes me out and pins me and becomes the 24/7 champ," Gronk said on the "Gronk'd UP" podcast.

It's for good reason ... because Bruce joined ESPN on Thursday and said he's already plotting his plan of attack.

"[Gronk] better keep his head on a swivel ... I may take it from him," Coach said on "NFL Live."

Of course, Arians was kidding ... or was he!?

We can't really be sure at this point. Maybe we're all just pawns in his strategy to get the belt from Gronk??

Tom Brady doesn't need access to Tampa Bay parks to keep his G.O.A.T. bod in shape ... the dude's taking his workouts to his backyard now -- IN FULL PADS!!!

TB12 was forced to move makeshift gym locations after local authorities gave him the boot from closed Tampa-area parks last month ... and the QB has clearly learned Derek Jeter's mansion can work just fine.

Brady posted video of his workout from the pad he's renting from the Yankees' legend on Monday ... and it doesn't seem the 42-year-old is missing anything.

Tom showed off some solid footwork and lateral movement ... all while he donned a helmet, shoulder pads, cleats and a knee brace.

Seems his Buccaneers gear still hasn't made its way to his doorstep, though -- 'cause his helmet still looks a hell of a lot like Patriots colors to us.

Then again, it's probably best Tom waits for the pirate swag to arrive at his place rather than going to get it himself ... remember the last time he ventured out in Tampa to get new Bucs stuff??

By the way, Brady's still mixing in some pleasure with work ... getting in a little family jetskiing after his morning sweat.

Just 'cause Rob Gronkowski is an NFL player again doesn't mean he's giving up his WWE 24/7 championship belt without a fight -- and he's already eyeing his own coach as a potential threat!!!

Remember, Gronk became the new 24/7 champ after beating up on Mojo Rawley at WrestleMania 36 last month ... pinning his friend to take over the shiny, new belt.

While it seemed like it was the beginning of a full-on career with Vince McMahon's org, the 30-year-old would end up BACK in the NFL weeks later to join his bestie, Tom Brady, on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So ... what's Gronk gonna do with his belt??

HE'S DEFENDING THE DAMN THING, BABY!!!!

Rob joined his brother, Chris, on his "Gronk'd UP" podcast to discuss the status of his championship ... and he makes it clear he's got his eyes peeled for anyone looking to steal his belt -- even Bucs head coach Bruce Arians.

"Imagine coming out of the meeting room, I'm like looking to my left down the hallway ... looking to my right to make sure no one is out of the meetings yet, and then all of a sudden ... Coach Arians just comes out of nowhere with a flying elbow and takes me out and pins me and becomes the 24/7 champ," Gronk says.

"That would be legendary. That would be an honor to lose to him."

Of course, the point of the 24/7 belt is ANYONE can come out of nowhere to try to take it from Gronk ... and he says he's gonna have a huge target on his back once the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Gronk even speculates someone could try taking it from him DURING AN NFL GAME ... but he's up to the challenge.

"So many different people coming at me from all angles."

Asante Samuel says playing for Bill Belichick and the Patriots was NOT fun ... and he tells TMZ Sports he believes the reason Tom Brady bolted was 'cause he just couldn't take it anymore.

"He probably just got fed up with it at the end of the day," the former New England cornerback says.

Samuel played with Brady and Belichick from 2003 to 2007 ... and he had a TON of success -- but he tells us he had ZERO fun along the way.

"It worked out for me, man. It made me a better man, but it's not something I enjoyed," Samuel says.

As for why Samuel says playing for The Hoodie is a grind ... it's because of the coach's strict rules and no-mercy personnel decisions.

In fact, Samuel says it was so tough ... he believes that's why Brady will head into the 2020 NFL season with a Buccaneers jersey on.

"He probably just got tired of it," Samuel says of TB12. "He probably got tired of some inner-circle things that he wanted. Maybe, he wanted receivers and tight ends to stay there with him and maybe Bill tried to trade them. Who knows what happened?"

Don't get it twisted, though ... Samuel still seems to respect the hell out of what Bill did for his career -- telling us he just didn't love the route it took to get there.

Tom Brady did NOT violate league rules by meeting with a Bucs coach at a Tampa house during a bungled home visit earlier this month, the NFL says.

Yeah, it was funny when Tom entered the wrong pad while trying to meet with Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich on April 7 -- but it also raised red flags with NFL officials.

Long story short, players and coaches are NOT allowed to have X's and O's meetings until teams begin offseason programs -- which the Bucs had not yet done at the time of the visit.

The NFL launched an investigation into the incident -- but good news for Tom, he's in the clear.

"We made an inquiry and determined there was no violation," an NFL spokesperson tells us ... "It was a brief personal visit and Tom picked up the playbook."

We broke the story ... a Tampa-area resident says the legendary QB barged into his home on April 7 after Tom thought the place belonged to Leftwich.

The story was hilarious ... David Kramer says Tom bolted from his place SUPER QUICKLY and into Leftwich's real house after the quarterback realized his blunder.

Tom even found it all funny ... joking about it on social media last week!!

It's not the first time Brady caught a break this month -- TB12 got away with a warning earlier when he was caught illegally working out at a closed Tampa-area park that was closed due to COVID-19.

Jason Pierre-Paul is revealing pics from the 2019 car crash that left him with a broken neck ... and the images show his $350,000 Ferrari was heavily damaged in the wreck.

As we previously reported ... the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star was driving a red 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista on May 2, 2019, when he lost control at around 3 AM and crashed.

Officials blamed weather conditions -- i.e. wet road surfaces -- for the accident ... and did NOT suspect JPP of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Now, nearly a full year after the wreck ... Pierre-Paul is reflecting on the crash -- sharing wild pics from the scene.

You can see in the photos ... the pricey ride was mangled pretty badly, with the passenger side door and rear quarter panel torn up.

Pierre-Paul captioned the pics with a message expressing gratitude for walking away from the crash alive ... saying, "I remember sittin home for months I mean months while time went by."

"But you know what kept me always going, I found somethin to be thankful for in this so call life bihhhh."

JPP added, "Fux a luxury car I got plenty of them. How can it be so luxury if you died in it and it. Live your best life TODAY!!!"

Pierre-Paul was sidelined for MONTHS with the neck injury ... but he returned to game action for the Bucs in Week 8 of the NFL season and went on to post 8.5 sacks.

Tom Brady and Gronk just got a personal welcome from none other than the Mayor of their new home -- Tampa, Florida -- but it didn't come without a warning to both.

Mayor Jane Castor penned her open letter, telling the Boston expatriates/ex-patriots about the awesome things they can do in her fair City, but then she schooled the G.O.A.T., saying, "Tom, my apologies for the miscommunication when you arrived – not the best first impression. But, given my law enforcement background, I couldn’t help but have someone investigate the sighting of a G.O.A.T. running wild in one of our beautiful city parks. No harm – no foul, and thanks for being a good sport."

And, then there's Gronk. Mayor Castor wrote about one of the largest parades in the city, which is pirate-themed, saying, "You must be ready to pARRGHty ... but not too hard (I'm talking to you Gronk), as Super Bowl LV is the following weekend and we need to keep our eye on the prize -- a dent free Lombardi trophy!"

But, Her Honor wasn't done, adding, "There is plenty for you to do as well Gronk. Although we have to socially distance right now, in no time you will be able to enjoy our nightlife and eclectic neighborhoods ... Just remember 'No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service' is still in effect around here." Gronk, you've been warned!

And, then a message to both ... "We are so glad to have you here. While most people retire and come to Florida, you came out of retirement to head our way. That shows the competitive mindset we are used to, while sticking it to the AARP at the same time. Looking forward to growing used to the Gronk Spike!"

Brady had an interesting week. As TMZ reported, he went to visit one of his new coaches and ended up walking into the wrong house -- it's kind of a Stepford community -- and came face-to-face with a very shocked dude.