It turns out Rob Gronkowski has some serious injuries

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski misses New England for a historic game due to rib injuries more serious than initially believed. 

For Rob Gronkowski to miss the “GOAT Bowl“, there must be something seriously wrong.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot more wrong than initially believed about the rib injury Gronkowski suffered during Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Initially, Gronk was believed to have suffered a pain flow blow to the ribs, but reports claimed none were broken. Gronkowski actually returned to the game in the third quarter and fielded some red zone targets, proving just how invaluable and gritty he is playing for the Buccaneers. After the game, head coach Bruce Arians declared that initial tests showed no ribs were broken.

Later in the week, MRI scans confirmed that multiple hairline fractures were all over his rib cage — but Gronkowski’s confirmation of a broken rib and a punctured lung confirm that the injury is much worse than initially believed.

When will Rob Gronkowski return to Bucs lineup?

While Gronkowski is set to miss the matchup of his lifetime (besides all of the Super Bowls, of course), The Athletic’s Greg Auman made an intriguing roster observation that indicates Gronkowski’s imminent return.

Auman surmised that because the Bucs didn’t place Gronkowski on IR, they expect the tight end to return within at least three weeks. IR stints are at a minimum three weeks, and to avoid placing Gronkowski on the list, the Bucs cut 2020 sixth-round defensive lineman Khalil Davis.

The avoidance of IR indicates that the Bucs believe Gronkowski can return by a Thursday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6. However, it’s very likely he will miss a Week 5 home game facing the Miami Dolphins.

It’d be impossible to believe anyone could overcome this injury in just 11 days — but if anyone can, it’s this NFL 100 tight end that came out of retirement just to keep playing the game.