Patriots' Bill Belichick won't commit to putting Rob Gronkowski on injured reserve
It's rare for New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick to acknowledge any injuries on his roster. So what he said Friday about tight end Rob Gronkowski could be considered an outpouring.
"Obviously, we’re all disappointed," said Belichick. "Nobody’s worked harder than Rob and has been a better teammate and all that, so hopefully things will work out as positively as possible with him.
"All the information we gave you is really all we have for now. I’m sure there will be more coming in as we go through the next few days, so we’ll just take it as it comes. It’s an unfortunate situation for him."
Gronkowski is scheduled to undergo surgery on a herniated disc in his back Friday, and the Patriots don't expect him to return this season.
Still, Belichick wouldn't definitively close the door on a playoff comeback and wouldn't commit to putting the all-pro on injured reserve.
"I mean, there is obviously more information coming, so right now, we have what we have," he said. "When more information comes then there may be another decision to be made. I don’t know."
If Gronkowski goes on IR, his season would be officially over since the Patriots already designated rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett to return.
Unproven first-year player Matt Lengel is now the team's No. 2 tight end behind Martellus Bennett.
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