Having already dabbled in professional wrestling, Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Rob Gronkowski didn't shut the door on pursuing a boxing career down the road.

Gronkowski told TMZ Sports that boxing might be a good substitute for playing football to fill his competitive drive when he retires from the NFL. While acknowledging the work required to train for a new sport, he said it "would spark an interest."

The five-time Pro Bowler turns 32 on Friday, and his brief retirement from football was due in part to the wear and tear he accumulated through his first nine seasons in the league.

Spotrac also estimated his career earnings at $62.6 million, which doesn't factor in what he has earned from endorsements off the field.

Even though the pair of Jake and Logan Paul are bringing more mainstream attention to boxing, it would be a little surprising to see Gronkowski make the foray into combat sports.

But there's a clear difference between making boxing a second career and signing up for an exhibition against someone else who isn't an experienced pugilist. In that sense, it wouldn't be all that different from Gronk's WWE run, where his level of physicality was carefully monitored.

A few years ago, it would've seemed ridiculous to think Logan Paul would be facing off with Floyd Mayweather Jr., and now the two are scheduled to fight June 6. Perhaps Gronkowski will actually step between the ropes one day.