Report: Pats' Gronkowski has surgery
FOXBOROUGH, MASS. (AP)
Rob Gronkowski is recovering from surgery for a broken forearm that
will sideline the New England Patriots tight end for the first time in
his three NFL seasons.
A person familiar with the operation said Monday the surgery was done
but did not say which arm was injured or how much time Gronkowski was
expected to miss. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition
of anonymity because there was no official announcement. The team could
not confirm that Gronkowski had an operation, Patriots spokesman Stacey
James said.
Gronkowski went to the locker room with team physician Dr. Thomas Gill
with 3:55 left in the fourth quarter after blocking on an extra point
following the final touchdown in the Patriots' 59-24 win over the
Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
He caught seven passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the game,
becoming the first tight end in NFL history with at least 10 touchdowns
in three consecutive seasons.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said on Monday morning that he had known
about the injury but did not know it's extent.
''It's part of this game,'' Brady said on his weekly appearance on WEEI
radio. ''He's got to do his best to get back as soon as possible, and
we've got to go out there and win some games without him.''
The Patriots (7-3) lead the other three teams in the AFC East by three
games. They visit one of them, the New York Jets (4-6), on Thursday
night.
Gronkowski had 10 touchdown catches as a rookie in 2010, then set an
NFL record for tight ends with 17 touchdowns last year, when he caught
90 passes for 1,327 yards. But he sprained his left ankle in the AFC
title game and was a nonfactor in the Super Bowl, which New England
lost 21-17 to the New York Giants.
The Patriots have been without Aaron Hernandez, their other
first-string tight end, for the last three games - and a total of six
this season - after he sprained his right ankle in Week 2. He has 17
catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns in four games. There's a
chance he could play Thursday night.
The other tight ends on the roster - Daniel Fells, Michael Hoomanawanui
and Visanthe Shiancoe - have a total of four receptions.
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