MRI shows no tears in right knee of Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski
An MRI showed thatNew England Patriotstight endRob Gronkowski has a bruised right knee but no tears, a source told ESPN's Dianna Russini on Monday.
A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Gronkowski's injury is considered a "minor knee strain."
He is not expected to play this week against the Eagles, a source told Schefter, and he is considered week-to-week. How quickly Gronkowski returns will be a pain tolerance issue, sources told Schefter, but he is expected to be back before the end of the regular season.
Gronkowski was carted off the field after hurting his right knee in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.
The Patriots immediately announced that Gronkowski would not return to the game. ESPN footage showed Gronkowski walking with a slight limp from the X-ray room to the Patriots' locker room.
OnMonday morning on WEEI, Patriots quarterbackTom Brady said he spent the morning digesting the loss to the Broncos as well as Gronkowski's injury.
"Tough game. This one hurts," Brady said. "I think the circumstances of the game, the circumstances of the situation that we were in -- having a good lead in the fourth quarter, then having a couple huge third downs that we made called back by penalty, then losing a player like Gronk in the fourth quarter, and then fighting back like we did to get it to overtime."
Gronkowski suffered the injury with 2 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, when Denver defensive back Darian Stewart hit him low on an incomplete pass. Gronkowski's leg whipped back as it made contact with Stewart.
He immediately writhed in pain on the ground before being tended to by the Patriots' medical staff and was eventually carted to the locker room.
"I hate to see it, but it really is the only way defenders can hit now," Brady said Sunday. "I bet if you asked the players, they would really rather go high than low. I don't think it's dirty. I just think that is how football is played now."
