The extent of Rob Gronkowski's injury is still unknown, but it's slowly revealing itself.
CBSSports.com NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported that the injury was believed to be less serious than initial reports of a punctured lung. La Canfora added that Gronkowski was still undergoing tests. The results of those tests are still unknown, but the impact of the injury became a little clearer Wednesday.
Gronkowski missed practice with what the Patriots called a chest injury, which doesn't exactly bode well for his chances to play Sunday against the 49ers. He was the only Patriots player to miss practice.
And that makes sense, because the hit Gronk endured was one of the hardest clean hits you'll ever see.
austink: Gronkowski takes a HIT! #BreathKnockedOut#ShakinUp#HardHit#S... NBC Sunday Night ... https://t.co/d8P3IXgDiwpic.twitter.com/LV9L4Zp6YE
— FanSportsClips (@FanSportsClips) November 14, 2016
Gronk ended up returning the game, by the way. He also wasn't mad about the hit.
Nothing but respect for Gronk. One of the best I've lined up against. Hoping to see him back on the field sooner than later.
— Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) November 15, 2016
The respect is mutual man, you got the best of me on that one. The grind is real, you showed the fans a real football hit. https://t.co/p57PLVQZ3C
— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) November 16, 2016
If Gronk's absence ends up extending to Sunday, the Patriots should still be fine without him. After all, they still have Martellus Bennett, who has caught 38 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns. He's Pro Football Focus' second-highest graded tight end.
They're also playing the 49ers. At 1-8, they definitely aren't a good team. If there ever was a game that was OK for Gronk to miss, this would be it, though I'm guessing his Fantasy owners wouldn't agree.
