Tom Brady lost his favorite target when Wes Welker took off for Denver, and now he may also be without tight end Rob Gronkowski when the season starts.
Tom Brady lost his favorite target when Wes Welker took off for Denver, and now he may also be without Rob Gronkowski when the season starts.
The New England Patriots tight end may require a fourth surgery on his left forearm to clear up a stubborn infection that has formed around the area where a metal plate resides, according to the Boston Herald. If the level of infection prevents doctors from reinstalling the plate, a fifth procedure will be needed.
A timetable for Gronkowski's return cannot be set until the extent of the infection is known. USA Today later reported it is still possible for Gronkowski to avoid the operating table if antibiotics prove effective over the next couple of weeks.
The initial break occurred Nov. 18 when Gronkowski was blocking on an extra-point attempt during the fourth quarter of a 59-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He missed five weeks then re-broke the arm during the first quarter of a divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans above the area where a metal plate was installed.
A third procedure was performed in February when infection set in.
Gronkowski caught 145 passes for 2,117 yards with 28 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
With Brady's top three receivers from last season either unsigned or in new locations, the health of Gronkowski and fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez has taken on greater importance.
If Gronkowski is unavailable to start the year, his most likely replacement is Jake Ballard, who spent last season on injured reserve after being acquired from the New York Giants. He caught 60 passes for 604 yards with four touchdowns in 2011.
But like many of the pieces that will orbit Brady, Ballard has no experience in the offense and will work to develop chemistry during training camp. In fact, it's possible Hernandez will be the only non-running back in the Week 1 starting lineup who has caught a pass from Brady.
Along with Welker, Brady's other receivers from last season – Brandon Lloyd, Deion Branch, Julian Edelman and Donte' Stallworth – do not appear to be part of New England's plans.
So instead of throwing passes to a cast of familiar faces, the quarterback will spend his offseason breaking in former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Donald Jones on the outside and former Rams receiver Danny Amendola on the inside. Brady and Amendola have taken a proactive approach and recently began working out together in Los Angeles.
Having Hernandez and Gronkowski on the field was supposed to lubricate the transition, but it's now possible one of the more costly blocking assignments in recent memory could alter those plans.