Report: Rob Gronkowski still dealing with ankle injury

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski missed just one game last month after he was said to have tweaked his back during practice, but his status for Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers is uncertain after he sat out practice again on Thursday. According to one report, the back injury isn’t the one that is giving Gronk the most trouble.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media told WEEI’s “Kirk & Callahan Show” on Friday that the ankle injury Gronkowski has battled throughout much of the season is the one that is affecting him the most.

“Him being limited is more ankle related than back related,” Rapoport said.

Gronkowski had a very slow first half of the season, leading to a lot of speculation about his health and whether or not he has been giving full effort every week. He’s found the end zone just one time and has had four or fewer receptions in five of seven games, and Rapoport said getting him back to 100 percent health is the top priority for the Patriots.

“It would be nice to win against the Packers, it’s an important game, but everything the Patriots do is about long-term,” Rapoport added. “I think getting Gronk right and looking like himself is if not the No. 1 priority right now, very, very high on the list.”

The list of injuries Gronk has dealt with throughout his career is quite lengthy, and there was at least one game this season where questions were raised about his focus. It’s entirely possible — if not likely — that Gronkowski has been slowed by the ankle injury for several weeks.