Since the New England Patriots earned a berth to Super Bowl LII, the status of All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski has received a great deal of attention.

The 28-year-old continues to make encouraging strides toward being cleared from the concussion protocol to play in Sunday's contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, Gronkowski was able to participate in a limited fashion in Wednesday's practice.

From today's Patriots pool report from practice: Rob Gronkowski practiced in pads and was listed as limited as he works his way through the concussion protocol. “We red-jerseyed him today so he's working his way back,” Bill Belichick said. A red jersey means no contact.

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Although Gronkowski didn't go through any contact on Wednesday, he hasn't experienced any setbacks in his recovery from the concussion that he suffered in the AFC Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has been able to practice a bit since Saturday, including two days as a full participant.

What has also been encouraging is that Gronkowski stated on Tuesday that he expects to be cleared from the concussion protocol ahead of Super Bowl LII. The Patriots haven't come out publicly to state this notion, but it has been widely reported that they anticipate the star tight end to be available on Sunday.

Gronkowski figures to be a major part of the game plan in the passing game against the Eagles. His presence will help shift things in the Patriots' favor given his ability to impact the game greatly as both as receiver and blocker. His chemistry with Tom Brady is legendary, as the two have connected for 75 touchdown passes, the second-most between a quarterback and tight end in NFL history.