Rob Gronkowski is not expected to play against the Chicago Bears on Sunday after he suffered a back injury during practice this week, but the latest ailment is apparently nothing for New England Patriots fans to panic about.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Gronkowski is expected to return in Week 8 when the Patriots face the Bills on “Monday Night Football.”
Patriots’ TE Rob Gronkowski, who is not expected to play Sunday vs. Bears, is expected back next week at Buffalo on Monday Night Football, per source. The Patriots are playing it safe by resting him Sunday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 21, 2018
Any back injury for Gronkowski is a concern, as he has had multiple back surgeries since college. However, it does not sound like the team believes the latest is related to any of those past issues, otherwise there would likely be more uncertainty surrounding the star tight end’s status.
Gronk has already been dealing with an ankle injury throughout much of the season, and there were some indications that he lost focus during last week’s dramatic win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Perhaps the Patriots feel a week off to get right will be beneficial for him.
