Throughout the last few weeks, the New England Patriots have the notable absence of Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski due to nagging back and ankle injuries for three straight games.

The Patriots are set to return from their bye week, which star quarterback Tom Brady voiced during a recent interview with Mut & Callahan Monday morning that he is hopeful to have Gronkowski back in the fold for Week 12 action on the road against the New York Jets, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.

“We’ll see. I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes, We haven’t even practiced this week,” he said. “I think he’s itching to get back. He’s a big difference-maker when he’s on the field. I hope he is out there, but we’ll see. It is up to the trainers and coaches and up to Rob to see how he feels. We have practice this week, and we’ll see what we can do.”

It has increasingly become a more frustrating season for Gronkowski that has seen his play have a notable drop off from the elite level of production that has become expected from him. He has struggled to stay on the field over nearly the last month as injuries have plagued him from truly making an impact on the field.

In seven games played, the 29-year-old has hauled in 29 receptions for 448 receiving yards and one touchdown this season. This has seen him tally over 100 receiving yards just once this season, which came in the season opener against the Houston Texans. This could largely be impacted by the nagging injuries that he has been dealing with the last several weeks that have prevented him to physically perform in the manner that he would have hoped.

Ultimately, Gronkowski's status for this week be determined by his availability in practice over the next several days leading up to Sunday's game.