Rob Gronkowski still has not been cleared

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is fully expected to miss yet another game today, and it is possible that he misses a seventh game next week against the New York Jets. However, he will almost certainly be back by Week 8’s big divisional game against the Miami Dolphins, and it would be a surprise to see him play today. Gronkowski and the Patriots agreed to allow a third party doctor into the equation in the famed Dr. James Andrews, who is responsible for making the call on whether or not to clear Gronk, who has already been cleared by Patriots team doctors (he doesn’t trust them, though).

The Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe reports that Rob Gronkowski still has not been cleared by James Andrews, thus he is “unlikely” to play in today’s big game against the New Orleans Saints. That means players like Danny Amendola and Kenbrell Thompkins will have to step up their play in order to keep up with an excellent Saints offense that features playmakers at every position. I mean, have you seen the way Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas catch passes?

The decision to play is actually fully up to Rob Gronkowski, so he could spur Andrews and play anyway. However, that is extremely doubtful, and Gronkowski will play when Andrews feels comfortable with allowing Gronk to play. With every game that Gronk misses, the concerns from some fans and, reportedly, even some players will get louder. At this point, it’s best for Gronk to play only when Andrews, assuming he is a completely neutral third party, says so.

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