New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski reportedly suffered no structural damage in his knee, and will miss minimal time, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport. He is reportedly unlikely to miss more than one game, and may even be back on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday, according to Rapoport.
Gronkowski went down with a knee injury in the fourth quarter after being hit low, and New England went on to lose the game in overtime, 30-24. The Patriots star tight end was seen on the ground rolling around in pain, but the fact that his foot was not firmly planted on the ground likely saved him from a serious injury, according to former NFL team physician David J. Chao. He is expected to undergo an MRI Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
Gronkowski is a huge target for quarterback Tom Brady, and is difficult for any defense to bring down, which tends to lead defensive backs hitting him low. "I hate to see it, but it's really the only way for defenders to hit now," said Brady after the game, via NFL. "I bet you if you asked probably a lot of the players, they'd probably rather you go high than low. But when you go low, that's what happens."
Gronkowski leads the Patriots in receiving yards this season with 931 yards and nine touchdowns. The star tight end had six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown before suffering the injury on Sunday night. New England already lost Julian Edelman to a broken foot, and wide receiver Danny Amendola was not able to play Sunday with his own knee injury.
Gronkowski reportedly could be back on the field this upcoming week, but the Patriots could play it safe with their star tight end as they currently sit at 10-1 on the season, and will want to be healthy going into the postseason.
