Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola set to play?
New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) runs after a catch as Buffalo Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin (21) pursues during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Patriots beat the Bills 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots could get both star pass-catchers Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola back for Sunday’s big game against the Atlanta Falcons, and that would be incredible news for the Patriots offense. Both Gronkowski and Amendola are two extremely talented players, and their impacts on the Patriots offense together would be enormous. The issue is whether or not the Patriots would be rushing either one of them back if the play on Sunday, and Amendola’s status is more uncertain than Gronkowski’s. It is believed that Amendola isn’t expected to play on Sunday while Gronkowski is, but this recent report from the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin proves that anything could go either way.
A source close to Ben Volin said, “As of today, they are playing. But a lot of time between now and Sunday night.”
Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski practiced fully every day this week expect for today, and they both put in limited practices. That could actually bode well for both players, but it’s still dicey to say that both will play against the Falcons on Sunday. Why? As the source close to Volin said, there is still plenty of time for the situation to change between now and kick-off time. For now, I think Rob Gronkowski will play against Atlanta, because he was supposed to play last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers based on offseason reports. While there is still definitely a chance that he doesn’t play, I believe that the Patriots held him out against the Bucs in order to give him as much rest as possible before Sunday’s big game against the Falcons. As for Amendola, I think he sits this one out, but I’m definitely not sure after this report.
As always with the New England Patriots, we won’t know the injury status of either Gronkowski or Danny Amendola until they are officially ruled out or inactive. In any case, they are game-time decisions anyway.
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