Belichick: No Limits On Rob Gronkowski At Patriots Training Camp
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots' 2017 training camp is officially underway, and Rob Gronkowski is back on the practice field after undergoing back surgery in the offseason. You may have thought Gronk would initially be limited as he gradually works his way up to full speed, but Bill Belichick clarified that the tight end should be 100 percent right out of the gate.
Speaking to the media during his press conference on Thursday, the first full day of Patriots training camp, Belichick said that Gronk's recovery "was all pretty much over with by the start of the offseason program."
When asked what the next steps would be for Gronk as he returns to the practice field, Belichick added, "He doesn't have any limits that I know of."
Gronk missed the final five games of the Patriots' 2016 regular season and the entire playoffs after undergoing the third back surgery of his career, going back to 2009 when he was a junior at Arizona. He played only eight games total in 2016 after playing in 15 games in each of the previous two seasons. He had also played all five possible playoff games in 2014-15.
The three-time AP First Team All-Pro tight end is one of the top-10 Patriots players to watch in training camp, as always, and his camp remains one of the biggest storylines of the summer.