Just two weeks remain before the New England Patriots reconvene at Gillette Stadium for offseason workouts, and Rob Gronkowski can hardly wait.
Speaking with ESPN’s Jonathan Coachman on Sunday at WrestleMania 33, the Patriots tight end said he will be “ready to roll” when the team begins its spring conditioning program April 14.
Gronkowski was placed on injured reserve in early December after undergoing back surgery and missed the final two months of the Patriots’ season.
“I’m feeling great,” Gronkowski told Coachman. “I’m good to go. It’s been about four months now. Just been back with the team a lot during the week, doing my rehab with the trainers there. I’m feeling good. I’ll be ready to roll when (the) offseason program starts. I’m super excited to get back on the field.”
Gronkowski’s injury prevented him from playing in Super Bowl LI. He watched from the sideline as the Patriots engineered the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, rallying from 25 points down in the third quarter to stun the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime.
“Just being there supporting the guys, it was unbelievable,” said Gronkowski, who made his pro wrestling debut Sunday night. “They worked super hard, and it was just awesome to be a part of it. But it definitely motivates me to get back out on the field. Just seeing how hard they worked, all the efforts they put in, being part of it just makes me want to keep on grinding, keep on going.
“I’ve definitely hit the rehab hard, and I’m going to make sure when I hit that field this year, I’m super ready to go. It definitely motivated me big time to get back out there so we can go out there with the boys and do it again.”
Injuries limited Gronkowski to just eight games this season. He caught 25 passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns.
Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images
