The Patriots were expecting Rob Gronkowski to be back sooner than this, but, at this point, they’ll take him whenever they can get him,
Gronkowski isn’t likely to play for the Patriots against the Saints on Sunday, which would be the sixth straight game he’s missed this season. The tight end shouldn’t miss many more, though, if any, according to Pro Football Talk.
Gronkowski’s absence from the game field will likely be one more week, at most, per one of PFT’s sources. Gronk will continue to practice with the team and likely be reevaluated by Dr. James Andrews toward the end of next week to determine whether he could travel with the team to New York to play against the Jets. Even if he is still unable to play in Week 7, Gronk is expected to be cleared by the time the Miami Dolphins make the trip to Gillette Stadium in Week 8.
His continued absence on the field has reportedly caused tension and resentment within the organization, considering that he’s been “dominant” in practice in recent weeks.
The Patriots have gone 4-1 without Gronkowski in the lineup, although they rank second worst in the NFL in red-zone efficiency (35 percent) and Tom Brady is completing a career-worst 57 percent of his passes.
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