Rob Gronkowski has been listed as questionable by the New England Patriots for Saturday’s playoff game.
There has been much made of the Patriots getting healthy following a bye week for their AFC Divisional showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
However, it appears one key player is not exactly on the mend. All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski missed Thursday’s practice to be treated for a knee injury, with reports being conflicted on whether that included an injection. On Friday, Gronkowski was limited and has been listed officially as questionable with both back and knee ailments.
Here's everything I've got on Gronk and the remaining Patriots injuries https://t.co/eTNMrtDBJh
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 15, 2016
Gronkowski is going to play in the game barring some sort of crazy setback, but how effective will he be? Gronkowski led all tight ends this year with more than 1,100 receiving yards and remains the premiere red zone target in football, hauling in 11 touchdowns out of his 72 receptions.
Without Gronkowski at full strength, New England might have a very tough time piercing a Chiefs defense that employs a great secondary. Kansas City was able to shut out the Houston Texans in its Wild Card game, led by a defensive backs unit that includes Eric Berry, Marcus Peters and Sean Smith. Inside linebacker Derrick Johnson is also one of the best at his position in coverage, making Tom Brady’s task quite difficult behind a poor offensive line.