Rob Gronkowski’s Forearm Will Likely Require a Fourth Surgery
Rob Gronkowski’s stay in California to spend time with his friends was cut short. The most talented tight end in the NFL reportedly woke up Sunday morning to find that his surgically repaired left arm had swollen up.
Gronkowski first broke his forearm in a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11. One surgery and five games later, Gronkowski returned for the finale in limited capacity. Then in the playoffs against the Houston Texans, Gronkowski reinjured his forearm after landing on it. That required a second surgery. A third surgery came in February to cure an infection around the wound. Gronkowski reportedly has been on antibiotics since.
On March 27, Gronkowski visited ESPN and said that he was feeling good about the healing process.
“Right now, just rehabbing, getting the muscle stronger around it. You want to get everything activated, re-activated, because it shuts down for a little bit when it’s healing. Just rehabbing, and when my trainers give me the ‘good to go’, hopefully in the next couple weeks, hopefully as soon as possible … I can get rolling again and get back in the weight room and get back on the field and do what I love doing — running around and catching some balls.”
Gronkowski may not be catching any balls from Tom Brady when the 2013 season starts. Although he is at the end of a six-week cycle of antibiotics to treat the infection, certain precautionary measures must take place to ensure a healthy Gronk. After waking up on Sunday, Gronkowski phoned the Patriots organization and was flown back to Boston for further evaluations. Multiple reports have stated that this fourth surgery, should the Patriots give the green light, will require around 10 weeks to heal.
Many media sources did not get a comment from the Patriots.
What this means for the Patriots is that they must rely on their deep roster of tight ends. There’s still the slightly less talented but more versatile tight end Aaron Hernandez. The other tight ends Jake Ballard, Michael Hoomanawanui, Daniel Fells, and Brad Herman may see their playing time increased until Gronkowski gets back.
The NFL draft begins on April 25. Gronkowski’s absence may require the Patriots to make some changes across the board, including deciding whether or not to draft wide receivers in the first and second round. On the other hand, this could also be a non-issue if Gronkowski is expected to be back sooner. Patriots Nation can only wait and hope for the best.
