Rob Gronkowski week-to-week, won’t play against Eagles
By Ian O'Brien
Rob Gronkowski avoided a major injury despite hurting his knee in the Patriots’ loss to the Broncos.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had a big scare in the Patriots’ stunning Sunday Night Football loss to the Denver Broncos. He left the game with a knee injury in the fourth quarter, but the Patriots caught a huge break when it was revealed that his injury is merely a bruise and not a break. ESPN reporter Dianna Russini confirmed the condition of Gronkowski’s knee injury, and insider Adam Schefter revealed Gronkowski’s fate for the upcoming week.
Rob Gronkowski is week to week and the injury is being described as more of a bruise of the knee than a tear per sources #Patriots
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) November 30, 2015
Rob Gronkowski not expected to play Sun vs. Eagles, per sources. Likely to miss multiple weeks; return date will be a pain tolerance issue.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 30, 2015
Gronkowski being out for the season would have been a devastating blow to a Patriots team that has already suffered major injuries on both sides of the ball. However, it appears that he may miss relatively significant time. The Patriots already have other injuries to deal with on top of Gronkowski’s.
Wide receiver Julian Edelman will be out for the rest of the regular season, and Danny Amendola was forced to sit out against the Broncos with a knee injury. Running back Dion Lewis is out for the season with a knee injury of his own, and linebacker Dont’a Hightower also got hurt on Sunday night. The Pro Bowl linebacker suffered a similar injury to Gronkowski, and he is also being considered week-to-week.
It remains to be seen whether the rest of the Patriots offense can heal up, but the hardest part of their schedule is over. After road games against the Broncos and New York Giants, the Patriots have soft opponents such as the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans coming up at home. Gronkowski coming back soon will be essential to their offense staying in elite form, but Brady and head coach Bill Belichick will always give this team a chance to win.