Rob Gronkowski made a surprisingly quick return to game action after injuring his knee against the Broncos in Week 12, but that does not mean the Patriots tight end has been playing at full strength.
Gronkowski missed practice on Tuesday and was limited Wednesday. He was once again absent on Thursday. Gronk has been listed on the injury report with a knee issue for the first time since Week 14, which is the week he returned after his original injury. Gronk also missed two practices last month, but both absences were related to the death of a family friend.
As Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald notes, Gronkowski did not look like his usual dominant self through the final four games of the regular season. Howe also reports that Gronkowski aggravated the knee injury during the fourth quarter of New England’s Week 15 win over the Titans and limped out of the stadium later that night.
Over the last four weeks of the season, Gronk caught “just” 15 passes. While that number isn’t exactly low, it’s down significantly from the 5.2 catches per game he averaged before the injury. He also scored two touchdowns in the last four games after scoring nine over his previous 11.
Some of Gronkowski’s dip in production can be blamed on poor offensive line play and the absence of Julian Edelman. Without Edelman to worry about, teams have been able to focus on taking Gronk away. The Patriots are hoping the speedy wide receiver’s return against the Chiefs will give them a major boost.
If you saw how brutal the hit on Gronkowski’s knee was (video here) against Denver, you know how fortunate he is to be playing. But that doesn’t mean Gronk isn’t still feeling some discomfort. Time will tell if that hinders New England’s chances of repeating as champions.
