Rob Gronkowski Working On Preserving Himself, Knowing To Get Down 'When The Journey Is Done'
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- If it's felt like the Patriots may have been holding Rob Gronkowski back a bit, or that Gronk might be holding himself back, then there might be an explanation for it - and it's for the greater good of the team.
Gronkowski was asked on Thursday whether he's changed his playing style over the years in an effort to prevent injuries and preserve his body for the long run. He denied that he's doing anything differently on the field - his production certainly hasn't suffered - but he gave a perfectly sensible explanation for how he might have avoided more serious injuries in recent years.
"You've always got to protect yourself whenever you can. You know, when the journey is done if you're running the ball just get down and don't take that extra shot. You can always show your toughness, you can have five guys take you down but really that's sometimes not the case. You really want to show that you just want to get down, you want to preserve your body for the next play when the journey is done and you're not going to get any more yards. Other than that, man, it's just basically taking care of your body off the field. Getting all the right work done so you're preventing the injury when you step out on the field."
From his rookie year in 2010 through the 2013 season, Gronkowski missed 14 regular season games and suffered a high-ankle sprain in the 2011 AFC Championship Game that severely hampered him in Super Bowl XLVI against the Giants. From 2014 through the first seven weeks of the 2016 season, Gronkowski has missed only four out of a possible 39 games. That includes Week 17 of the 2014 season when the Patriots simply rested him before the playoffs.
Gronk's increased focus on preservation hasn't significantly hampered his production. Excluding his rookie year in 2010, his targets per game from 2014 to today are only slightly down from the previous three seasons 7.83 targets per game from 2014-2016, compared to 7.91 from 2010-2013. His yards per game are down from 79.7 in 2011-2013 to 76.4 in his past 35 games.
Despite the ever-so-slight dip in Gronk's production in recent seasons, Bill Belichick once said that "Dependability is more important than ability." Gronk and the Patriots will gladly trade a few yards for having a healthy Gronk in January (and hopefully February) when the games really start to count. Ever since tearing his ACL in 2013, Gronk has been healthy and productive for the Patriots in the playoffs, and ultimately, that is where Gronk's journey should end - not in a regular season game trying to block on an extra point or battling for an extra inch.
Gronk and the Patriots have been taking the long view with the tight end's health in recent years, and they've had the full Gronk in the playoffs as a result. For at least one year so far, it has paid off handsomely.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.