When he’s on the field, Rob Gronkowski is one of the best offensive weapons in the NFL. Thankfully for the Patriots, he will be available for the team’s Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, ‘Gronk’ is ready to go:
Rob Gronkowski: "Super excited. Super pumped. … I feel mentally and physically ready, for sure."
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 1, 2014
After a dominant 2011 campaign in which he caught 90 passes for more than 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns, injuries have derailed Gronkowski the past two seasons.
He has missed 14 games over the last two years, including nine last season when he caught only 39 passes and reached the end zone only four times.
With Gronkowski healthy to go along with Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and recently acquired TE Tim Wright, the Patriots arguably have one of their more talented receiving cores in years.
Gronkowski also added that he won’t be playing every snap against the Dolphins, saying that he intends to ‘get his feet wet’ before taking on a larger role in the coming weeks. With the injury history of their star tight end, the Patriots will surely be playing it careful so that he remains healthy.
Even without him, the Patriots were able to make the AFC Championship Game last season. With no Super Bowl since 2004, the Patriots will be looking to finally get back to the top of the NFL, and a helathy Gronkowski is necessary for that to happen.
