Potentially devastating news hit the New England Patriots this week when they learned all-pro tight end Rob Gronkowski would have to undergo a fourth surgery on his troublesome injured forearm. The setback could be worse than expected if the infection has not subsided, which would require a fifth surgery and likely cause Gronkowski to miss some or all of training camp. To add insult to injury it now believed the oft-injured star tight end could also require back surgery for a nagging back injury. The combination of injuries to Gronkowski has Patriots organization concerned and rightfully so.
The recent developments seem to lead to the possibility of Gronkowski missing part or some of the season. Missing any type of significant playing time could have a major impact on the outcome of the Patriot’s season. The Patriots will be entering the regular season with a completely revamp receiver group. Tom Brady could deeply benefit having his security blanket around at the start of the season to aid in the transition.
The schedule may help New England early on if Gronkowski starts the year on the sidelines. The Patriots open up with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On paper these are winnable games for Belichick and co. However, Gronkowski better heal up fast because the schedule gets tougher. The next three games are against Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints, three very good teams that could take advantage of the Patriots missing their top play maker.
New England has an extremely talented roster and has shown in the past they can succeed without their star tight end but they are entering the season with more uncertainty than in the past. No one knows how well New England’s new receiver group will look once the season starts. If the group struggles early New England will have a hill to climb in the late season playoff push.
The Patriots added some new talent through the draft and one or two of these rookies could be immediate contributors early in the season but the Patriot’s coaches will not be counting on that to happen. The Patriots have dominated the AFC East for many years but the Bills and the Dolphins have made strides to close the gap on New England. The Patriots will need to tighten things up early if Gronkowski is forced to miss significant playing time.
Gronkowski will undergo surgery this week to fix his troubled forearm and if all goes well he could be back in time for training camp. The Patriots have will need to come up with an insurance policy for Gronkowski if he is not ready to go early on. Having the star tight end in training camp would be a huge boost for New England but a healthy Gronkowski in camp does not guarantee a healthy Gronkowski once the season starts.
The Patriots are a deep enough team to be able to overcome a loss to one of their stars but if history serves correct Belichick better start preparing a backup plan. Tom Brady is not getting any younger and if New England wants to make another run at a championship they will need to do it with a healthy Gronkowski.