Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski Making Progress After Back Surgery

Mar 8, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski watches a game between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is making good progress after undergoing back surgery, which is nothing but good news for a team in need of his help after the whole Aaron Hernandez thing.

Gronk has been dealing with forearm and back issues, but recently spent time under the knife to address the latter. Here’s Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk on Gronk’s progress:

"Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski appears to be making strides toward returning from back surgery. But just how soon he’ll return to the field remains to be seen.Gronkowski has resumed some light workouts, and Ed Werder of ESPN reported that people who have been working with Gronkowski describe him as being in good spirits, looking good and making significant progress."

The Spin: Nothing to see here, folks. Gronk is going to make a fine recovery considering he has access to the best in the world when it comes to medical issues.

The real question is how soon Gronk will be back, and if he can stay healthy upon his return. We are a long way off from knowing the answer to either. Right now Gronk should not be considering anything close to a lock to be ready to hit the field in Week 1.

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