New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is still not 100 percent healthy, still feeling the effects of when he pulled up and took himself out of practice on Aug. 15. He remains limited in practice with a hamstring injury.
Gronkowski's inclusion on the team's first injury report of the season Wednesday adds context to what he's been facing health-wise. Gronkowski took himself out of a joint practice with the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15 after attempting to catch a pass from quarterback Tom Brady along the sideline. He returned to practice Aug. 24, but didn't play in either of the final two preseason games, which wasn't a major surprise considering Gronkowski hasn't played in the preseason since 2012.
The Patriots kept four tight ends on their initial 53-man roster: Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett, Clay Harbor and AJ Derby. That is one more than the norm.
The implication is that Gronk may not play in Week 1, but if he's limited in practice on Wednesday, it's an indicator that he'll be out there on Sunday night. The Patriots play in Arizona, and players who are not going to play typically do not travel, so we should know more on Saturday.
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