Rob Gronkowski Already Running at OTAs?
New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski struggled to return from arm and back injuries in 2013. Despite not being placed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list, he still didn’t make his official return until week seven.
It doesn’t sound like the Patriots will have to wait that long for “The Gronk” to return from his latest injury. Gronkowski tore his ACL in week 14 against the Cleveland Browns, but is reportedly already “bursting, planting and cutting” at OTAs.
Patriots beat writer Ben Volin made the note that it appears Gronkowski doesn’t have any “physical limitations”. Gronkowski is still restricted to just individual work on the side of team practices, and is still fully expected to open training camp on the PUP list.
Gronkowski’s current physical state notes steady progress, however, giving the 25-year old tight end a realistic chance to be 100% and ready for week one. If Gronkowski is truly as far along as Volin notes, he may even be less of a risk to miss the start of the season than he was last year.
An important note with Gronkowski is that he doesn’t rely on long speed or explosiveness quite as much as the average offensive skill player, rather using his size, length and ball skills to dominate the opposition. Getting his speed and burst back to a high level will still be key, but as far as knee injuries go, it seems Gronkowski is well on his way to doing just that.
Just five months removed from a serious knee injury, Gronkowski is bordering on an Adrian Peterson-type recovery if he can make it back to full speed for the start of the 2014 NFL season. While that is both encouraging and exciting, Patriots fans may also be worrying if a potential quick return ends with Robert Griffin III type results.
No one can be sure just how Gronkowski’s recovery will go, as it’s also entirely possible he has a setback or runs into other obstacles along the way. For now, the fact that he’s already moving well and able to make distinct football moves suggests he’s better off than any figured he’d be at this point.
The Patriots and their fans will mark that down as good news and cross their fingers that’s the only kind of news they get in regards to Gronk as the season approaches.
Leave a Reply