Gronkowski needs surgery
By Mike Dyce
Dec 30, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) exits the field after he game against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 28-0. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Rob Gronkowski, the dynamic tight end for the New England Patriots, injured his broken left arm again early in Sunday’s playoff match up against the Houston Texans. He had previously missed 5 games with a broken arm before returning.
The Associated Press are citing an anonymous source, described as having knowledge of the injury, who says the young tight end will need surgery to repair the arm.
This injury won’t cause quite the stir the last broken arm of Gronkowski caused. Gronkowski was blocking on an extra point at the end of a 59-24 beat down of the Indianapolis Colts, a meaningless play. Many say he had no business being out there on the field for that play. This broken arm came on the 8th offensive play for New England and had Gronk laying out to catch a pass.
But Patriots aren’t speaking about the injury. Head coach Bill Belichick avoided the topic in post game interviews.
‘Look, I just walked off the field,” Belichick said.
Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady declined to offer any info.
”I don’t know anything about that,” Brady said. ”I haven’t heard anything.”
Gronkowski is one of Brady’s favorite targets. He only has a fraction of Wes Welker’s catches with 55 receptions but he leads the team with 11 touchdown receptions. He also had 790 yards receiving, but likely would have eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark had he not been injured in November.
His teammates will notice his absence.
”It’s hard to replace a player like him because he’s a freak of nature,” tight end Aaron Hernandez said, ”but everyone has to step up and everyone has to keep making plays so we can keep it rolling. (He) definitely helps me out because so much attention is on him.”
”It’s a big loss and you can’t replace a player like him.”
”I just saw him a little bit ago,” back up tight end Michael Hoomanawanui said. ”A guy with that much talent, it stinks. There’s no other way to put it. I went down with a knee injury last year that ended my season and you never want to see that for anyone, for an opponent, but let alone a guy that you spend a lot of time with each and every day.”
At the moment it seems like he is out for the remainder of the post season, but with the Superbowl 3 weeks away a return isn’t impossible.