Since the New England Patriots fell short in Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles, there has been much uncertainty surrounding All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski's future. There yet to be any clear indication of whether Gronkowski will return to action for the 2018 campaign.

This has pushed the Patriots into a difficult situation where the organization has had to continue to wait on their star tight end to make a decision. With that in mind, Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that Gronkowski will not be at the team's offseason program that begins on Monday as he is still weighing his options.

The further along this situation moves into the offseason, the more likely it could become a more pressing issue. Gronkowski is still under contract through the 2019 NFL season, as he still has two years left on his six-year, $54 million extension with $19 million left in both base salary and bonuses. This would be a significant amount of money that he would be stepping away from in the prime of his career.

The 28-year-old is coming off yet another highly productive campaign that saw him lead the Patriots with 69 receptions (69), 1,084 receiving yards (1,084), and eight touchdowns that earned him a Pro Bowl selection and a First-Team All-Pro nod. It marked his fourth 1,000 receiving yard season and third in the last four years.

It should be seen as a promising sign that both sides have picked up a steady level of communication throughout this entire process. There is no certainty that means that he is leaning toward coming back, but it at least means that the Patriots have been kept abreast of what Gronkowski is going through.

With training camp set to begin next month, the Patriots should get their answer concerning Gronkowski at some point over the next few weeks. Until then, it is still a fluid situation with his NFL future still up in the air.