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Since the New England Patriots clinched a berth to Super Bowl LII, a lot of the attention has been focused on All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski's status for the contest.
Gronkowski has been steadily progressing through the concussion protocol after suffering the injury in the first half of the AFC Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, he appears to be hedging toward being medically cleared in time to play after practicing each of the last two days.
Gronk went full tilt the past two days in practice. Barring a setback, clearing the concussion protocol is far more about when than if.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 29, 2018
The 28-year-old began practicing on a limited basis on Saturday and has since picked that up on both Sunday and Monday. This falls in line with the growing expectation that he was going to be cleared in time to play in the big game.
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The availability of Gronkowski is a big step in the right direction, as he figures to have a huge role in their offensive game plan. He is the team's most dangerous receiving option, causing mismatches for defenders due to his unique size at 6-foot-6 and 265 lbs along with his ability to make difficult grabs in tough coverage.
Throughout his career, Gronkowski has formed a dynamic pairing in the passing game with Brady, as the two have connected for 75 career touchdowns, the second-most from a quarterback to a tight end in NFL history. He is also one of the most productive receiving weapons in league history in the playoffs, as his 10 postseason receiving touchdowns are tied for third all-time behind only Jerry Rice’s 22 and John Stallworth’s 12.
Gronkowski is also first at his position with 856 career receiving yards in the postseason, and he is tied for third all-time with three career 100-yard receiving performances. Gronkowski has also been quite productive in these playoffs with seven catches on 12 targets and a touchdown.
