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NFL roundup: Gronk injured, Suggs returns, Al Jazeera suspensions looming

By Dave Stevenson

Jul 28, 2016; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) runs drills during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 28, 2016; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) runs drills during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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While there were no NFL games on Monday, enough crazy things happened to make for a busy day for the league. 

As tends to happen during the summer dog days, the biggest news to come out of the NFL Monday involved two stars getting injured. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski left practice on Monday with an as-yet-undisclosed leg injury. And while Gronk was clearly favoring his left side, it’s encouraging he was able to leave the field on his own power. Gronkowksi has sadly been quite prone to injuries over the years, and osing him for any period of time would be devastating for the Patriots.

Meanwhile, New Orleans Saints first-round pick Sheldon Rankins had to leave practice after suffering an injury of his own. Unlike Gronk, however, Rankins wasn’t able to leave on his own power. This could be a devastating blow for the Saints, who were expecting the Louisville standout to play a huge role this season. Rankins is a playmaker on the defensive line, something that the Saints are significantly lacking in.

After two devastating injury stories, here’s a much more happy one: Terrell Suggs is back! The Baltimore Ravens linebacker returned to the practice field for the first time since injuring his Achilles’ heel in the 2015 opener. To call Suggs an important piece of the Ravens puzzle would be an understatement: Baltimore absolutely needs him to be back at full health if it has any designs on contending this season. Love or hate him, the NFL is much more fun when Suggs is around.

Cheer up, Patriots fans, because you might not be alone in your misery for long. On Monday, word broke that Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Mike Neal and James Harrison — all of whom were implicated in the controversial Al Jazeera America documentary aired last year — could each face a suspension if they do not meet with the league by August 25. Chalk it up to yet another example of Roger Goodell abusing his power, digging up months-old stories in an effort to distract fans and media from bigger-picture concerns. Which is something Pats fans know a little bit about.

Indeed, it’s hard to imagine Goodell will maintain his unprecedented level of power once the next CBA negotiations are hashed out. What say you, beloved inmates?

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