Patriots reportedly have no intention of trading Rob Gronkowski

With Rob Gronkowski having recently undergone his third back surgery since 2009, there has been some speculation that his career — at least with the New England Patriots — could be over. According to one report, that is not the case.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media said Sunday that the Patriots are “absolutely” planning on Gronkowski being with the team in 2017 and beyond. The biggest concern for Gronk at the moment, it would seem, is that he could experience pain and flare-ups in his back throughout his career even after he is declared fully healthy.

While the Patriots have a history of parting ways with star players like Lawyer Milloy, Richard Seymour and more recently Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, they reportedly feel very strongly about getting Gronkowski back healthy and having him remain a part of their future plans.

Gronk is only 27, and he has caught 68 touchdowns in just 88 career games. He is under contract with the Patriots through 2019 and will earn $24 million during that span, which would be a bargain if the All-Pro can somehow remain healthy. Gronkowski’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was said to be exploring contract talks with the Patriots last offseason, but those talks will have to wait now with the tight end’s health uncertain.

If anything, Gronkowski’s latest injury could make it difficult for him to justify getting a pay raise. The Patriots love having the leverage in a situation like that, so that should make his future with the team — at least over the life of his current contract — safe.

The information a former Patriots team doctor shared about Gronkowski’s injury situation last week did not sound promising. You can see what he said here. That said, Gronkowski has been here before. If anyone knows how to rehab from a serious injury, it’s him.