Patriots Blog: Gronk Cleared, Can Make Big Impact In Red Zone
BOSTON (CBS) - What we've all been waiting for has finally happened. Rob Gronkowski has been cleared to play Sunday afternoon against the Jets.
I was able to confirm this through sources close to Rob Friday, and then his agent Drew Rosenhaus sent out the following message:
"Rob has now been cleared by all doctors to play Sunday in the Jets game."
So what does that mean for the Pats? Well first, Gronk will make his way to New York with the team and will likely suit up for Sunday's game. He's been practicing with the squad for several weeks now so he's up to speed.
READ: Gronk Cleared By Doctors
Also, over the last couple of weeks, Rob has drastically improved. Last week in particular, Tom Brady and others said that Gronk was by far the best player in practice.
So it should come as no surprise he got his final clearance from Dr. James Andrews and the expectation is that he's be on the field on Sunday.
TALE OF THE TAPE: Patriots vs. Jets
While no one knows how much he will play, the Pats can certainly use Gronkowski. Their greatest need comes in the red zone, with the Patriots' offense struggling mightily inside the opponent's 20-yard line this season. They were the NFL's best team inside the red zone last season, but now rank near the bottom. All 6-6 of Gronk will help that, giving Brady a big body and reliable target to throw to in the end zone.
Not to mention, Gronkowski is without a doubt one of the most important pieces in the Patriots' running game as a blocker. Stevan Ridley can expect to see a few more holes open up on the line with Gronk out there.
The headache appears to be over, now it's time for Gronk to do his thing.
Follow Levan Reid on Twitter @LevanReid.
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