FOXBOROUGH,
Mass. — New England Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski
re-injured his left forearm in Sunday's playoff game against the Houston
Texans and will miss the remainder of the postseason, according to a
person informed of the diagnosis doctors made on Sunday.
The
person, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because
the Patriots haven't yet announced the extent of the injury, said
Gronkowski will require another surgery to repair the bone.
New England head coach Bill Belichick offered no update after his team beat Houston 41-28 to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
However one of his star linemen did.
"That's
always a tough break. Everyone on the team loves Rob, as a person, as a
player," said left guard Logan Mankins. "It's a tough break for him, a
tough break for our team. But whoever gets put in the spot has to do the
job. We're all counting on them."
Belichick did offer that Gronkowski wouldn't have been active if he wasn't fit for duty.
"He wouldn't have played if he wasn't," Belichick said, adding medical decisions are left to team physicians.
Gronkowski
was injured when he leaped to catch a pass from Tom Brady in the first
quarter of Sunday's game. He landed on his left forearm, which was
heavily bandaged and padded. Gronkowski was flexing his hand on the
sideline and soon was taken to the locker room for further evaluation.
X-rays revealed the new damage.
Gronkowski was originally injured
on Nov. 18 against the Indianapolis Colts while blocking on an extra
point late in a blowout victory. He missed the next five games before
returning for the regular-season finale. He appeared limited in that
game and again on Sunday even before he reinjured the arm.
This
comes a year after Gronkowski was limited in the Super Bowl loss to the
New York Giants with a high-ankle sprain. If he was healthy that day,
perhaps the Patriots win that game. This latest injury certainly affects
their outlook this season as well.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com
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