Patriots Release Statement Regarding Rob Gronkowski's Bruised, Sprained Knee
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots are not exactly known as an organization that's typically forthcoming when it comes to revealing any information that they are not required to provide, so it was quite peculiar on Tuesday afternoon when the team released a statement regarding the health of Rob Gronkowski.
The tight end suffered a knee injury on Sunday night in Denver, one that left him in clear and obvious pain and required a cart to remove him from the field. Yet early reports indicated the injury was not as serious as it seemed, and the Patriots' statement on Tuesday revealed that it's a bone bruise/knee sprain.
"During Sunday night's game, Rob Gronkowski sustained a bone bruise/sprain of his right knee," the statement reads. "His status will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis and listed accordingly on the practice participation and injury reports. There is no timetable for his readiness to return, which will be determined in the days or hours prior to the appropriate game. Any timetable reported prior to that final determination would be speculative."
That likely will serve as the final word from anybody in the Patriots organization until Gronkowski returns to the field.
The statement comes from both the Patriots and the Gronkowski family, a noteworthy detail, considering the Gronkowskis and Patriots had disagreements three years ago regarding his arm injury.
In a video posted to Bleacher Report Tuesday night, Gronkowski thanked his family, friends and fans for the support he's received over the last two days. He says he is "week-to-week" and will be working hard to get back on the field as soon as possible.
"I'm thankful that it's nothing serious," Gronkowski said. "I love playing the game of football. Whenever it's taken away from you, you definitely get a feeling that you appreciate the game so much."
Gronkowski, 26, has played in all but one of the Patriots' 30 games over the past two seasons. In 11 games this year, he's caught 57 passes for 931 yards and nine touchdowns.
The 10-1 Patriots can guarantee themselves the No. 1 seed in the AFC by winning their final five games. If the Patriots lose one game and the Bengals and Broncos win the remainder of their games, then tie-breaking scenarios will come into play to determine the two teams to get a first-round bye.
The Patriots host the Eagles on Sunday before traveling to Houston in Week 14.
