Rob Gronkowski Offers Advice For Gordon Hayward: 'Dominate' Injury Rehab

FOXBORO, Mass. — Gordon Hayward’s gruesome ankle injury was the talk of the Boston sports world Wednesday, even down the road at Gillette Stadium.

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has suffered several severe injuries during his NFL career, offered his reaction to Hayward’s, which came just minutes into the NBA All-Star’s Celtics debut.

“I wish him nothing but wellness,” Gronkowski said. “Hopefully, he heals ASAP. You never want to see that with a player in any sport. When my friend showed me that last night, you get that feeling in your body where your heart just drops. I wish him well. I can’t wait to see him back. I know he’s going to bounce back. Being here in Boston, I know he’s going to be a hard worker, and I can’t wait to watch him when he comes back.”

It’s not yet clear whether Hayward’s broken ankle will sideline him for the entire NBA season, but at the very least, he’s looking at many months of recovery before he’ll be able to get back on the court.

Gronkowski’s advice to the new Celtic? Approach rehab the same way you’d approach a game.

“Just go into rehab just like you go into anything else — dominate it,” Gronkowski said. “Come back when you feel ready, and come back when you’re 100 percent. Just like anything else. He wouldn’t be where he is now if he wasn’t a hard worker.

“I don’t know the guy, never met him, but it’s not something you want to see, as an athlete, happen to anyone else.”

Patriots fullback James Develin, who missed the entire 2015 season with a broken leg, knows what Hayward is going through.

“That’s just a crazy thing to happen,” Develin said. “I feel for him. It’s a tough thing to happen that early in the season — really, any time in the season is tough. But I’m sure he’ll do a really good job rehabbing to get ready to go and be back as soon as possible.”

Julian Edelman feels Hayward’s pain, as well. The Patriots wide receiver, who currently is on injured reserve with a torn ACL, reached out to the Celtics star on Twitter.