Patriots news: Rob Gronkowski returns to practice on Saturday

Rob Gronkowski, that beast of a tight end Tom Brady's made his number one weapon, has officially returned to New England Patriots practice in preparation for Super Bowl 52.

In the days that have followed the New England Patriots reaching Super Bowl 52, there has been much attention towards the health of All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The Patriots have been quite tight-lipped about his status after suffering a concussion in the first half of the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the 28-year-old made some progress in the concussion protocol by participating in Saturday's practice, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Patriots’ TE Rob Gronkowski returned to practice today after missing New England’s previous three practices due to a concussion.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 27, 2018

This comes less than a day after New England had provided some inclination of Gronkowski's health by putting him on the injury report on Friday. In fact, this would have put him out of action for the Super Bowl had it been played this upcoming Sunday and not next weekend.

There hasn't been any sense of concern from the Patriots, given that he still has more than a week to prove that he is completely past the concussion and not showing any symptoms stemming from it. Gronkowski did take a step forward on Saturday by practicing on a limited basis, which he could continue to build upon in the coming days.

The five-time Pro Bowler is a huge part of the Pats offensive game plan as their primary target in the passing game. He has proven to be a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses due to his 6-foot-6 and 265-pound frame along with his ability to make tough grabs in traffic. He has also built some strong chemistry with quarterback Tom Brady that has equated to the famed connection piling up 75 career touchdowns, which is the second-most from a quarterback to a tight end in NFL history.

On top of that, Gronkowski has enjoyed individual success 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. He 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.