Rob Gronkowski Says Tom Brady Will Kill It As Analyst, But Can Play 'Forever'

There's no doubt in Rob Gronkowski's mind that Tom Brady will be a great football analyst for FOX Sports when he decides to hang up his cleats -- keyword being when, 'cause Gronk thinks Tom can play "forever."

Gronk was leaving dinner at Craig's in L.A. Wednesday night ... when he was asked how he believes Brady will fare behind a mic when he's finally done playing.

"Tom's gonna kill it," Gronk said. "He knows football like no other. He can break down any player at any time. He'll just present it to the screen, showing the strength and weaknesses. He can talk football like no other."

Rob, who won four Super Bowls with TB12 (3 in New England, 1 in Tampa), was then asked when 45-year-old Brady would retire.

"That dude's a beast. He can go forever," Gronk said, before joking Tom could play to 68.

Brady briefly retired this past off-season, before returning to the Bucs. Unfortunately, TB12 and Tampa Bay haven't been having the season they imagined ... and Tom's future is uncertain.

Of course, the on-the-field struggles come amid off-the-field drama ... leading many to call on the 7x Super Bowl champ to retire at season's end.

If Brady does decide to retire (again), the G.O.A.T., who signed a lucrative $375 million contract with FOX Sports to be their lead analyst, will transition to the broadcast booth.