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Following the New England Patriots berth to their third Super Bowl in the last four years, many questions have been asked concerning the availability of All-Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was concussed in the AFC title game.
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, head coach Bill Belichick didn't divulge much about Gronkowski's health on Wednesday.
“Yeah, we’ll be compliant with the NFL injury report,” Belichick said. “When that’s required, we’ll put it on there. . . . Whatever his situation is, whatever his status is, we’ll put it on the injury report. We’ll make sure you’re the first one to get it.”
Gronkowski suffered the concussion in the first half of the AFC Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars after a helmet-to-helmet hit by safety Barry Church. He was unable to return to the contest in the second half after going through the concussion evaluation process.
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The 28-year-old has just under two weeks to clear the protocol in order to take the field on February 4th against the Philadelphia Eagles. Concussions typically take players about a week to get through the procedure to display that they are symptom-free. New England will keep the entire situation private until they're required to give an official designation for the game.
Gronkowski has been the Patriots' most reliable target in the passing game for much of his career. He has proven to be one of the most productive tight ends in league history, benefitting greatly from his unique size that allows him to be a premier receiving option and blocker.
He also has a knack for taking his game to another level 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. Gronk is also first at his position with 856 receiving yards in the postseason, and he is tied for third all-time with three career 100-yard receiving performances.
