All the excitement on Rob Gronkowski's return from injury quickly perished after the star tight end had to be ruled out midway through the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' game against the New Orleans Saints.

The Buccaneers activated Gronk for Sunday's contest, marking his return from a broken rib and punctured lung that had sidelined him since Week 3. However, it's clear the veteran TE is not yet in game condition after suffering from back spasms.

Article Continues Below
More Buccaneers News
image thumbnail
1 obvious Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade candidate entering 2025 training campEnzo Flojo ·
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles looks on before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium.
Buccaneers reward Todd Bowles, Jason Licht with new contractsBen Strauss ·
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) works out at One Buc Place.
Baker Mayfield’s Emeka Egbuka endorsement will fire up Buccaneers fansBenjamin Adducchio ·
One mystery player in the middle, Baker Mayfield, Antoine Winfield Jr around him, Tampa Bay Buccaneers logo in the background
1 perfect Tampa Bay Buccaneers move to fill out roster before 2025 training campEnzo Flojo ·
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders (28) works out at One Buc Place.
Buccaneers’ Shilo Sanders roasts Shedeur Sanders over speeding ticketsBenjamin Adducchio ·
IMAGE: Blank player silhouette with nervous emoji face on head in center, Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Benjamin Morrison on left side, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka on right side, Raymond James Stadium (home field of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) in background
3 Buccaneers veterans whose roles will be pushed by rookies in 2025Jordan Llanes ·

By the looks of it, though, Rob Gronkowski's issue is merely caused from his long absence and not anything related to his previous injury. With that said, Buccaneers fans don't have to worry that one of their main weapons could miss out several games again.

Nevertheless, it's true that Gronk's absence is a big blow to the Buccaneers, especially in their game against the Saints where they fell to an early hole midway through the third quarter. Certainly, Tom Brady could have used another weapon at his disposal and one of his more reliable partners with whom he has a ton of chemistry.

The 32-year-old tight end already has four touchdowns in three games this season before he went down with injury. Unfortunately, fans have to wait for at least another week to see him catch a pass from Brady and score a touchdown.