Has the injury bug once again come back to haunt Rob Gronkowski following scot-free 2020 NFL campaign?
Rob Gronkowski is an enigma on and off the field. On the field, he has established himself as one of the greatest tight ends ever. But that does not mean his ride has been easy.
He has been a victim of a littany of injuries throughout his career that have set him back from time to time. The latest is a rib injury that kept him out of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last game and will keep him out again this week.
#Bucs have some good news and bad news on the injury front.
TE Rob Gronkowski and Safety Antoine Winfield are both OUT for the #Dolphins game.
CB Jamel Dean and LB JPP will both play however.
But his latest injury poses a vexing question for the Buccaneers. He is, without a doubt, their star tight end and played a crucial role in their Super Bowl victory last year. However, with his injury record, can he have a leading role this season?
Rob Gronkowski, lest it be forgotten, retired in 2019 saying that his injuries had taken a toll on his mental health. He only returned at Tom Brady's invitation, but can his body survive the grind again?
🚨 Sources: Rob Gronkowski (ribs) officially OUT Week 4 against the Pats. It’s worth noting that Gronk - during his one-year retirement - discussed rushing back from injury as a key issue/reason why he stepped away from football. 🚨
It is an open question given how many injuries he has had throughout his career. Here's a look at some of the injuries Rob Gronkowski has suffered during his NFL career.
Rob Gronkowski's injury list
Rob Gronkowski is always a high injury risk, given how much he has suffered in his playing time in the NFL.
He fractured his left forearm in a game against the Indianapolis Colts during the 2012 season. Returning after surgery, he again fractured it in January. He also had a back vertebral fracture from which he recovered at the same time as his forearm.
The 2013 season did not go smoothly either as he tore his ACL and MCL in a game against the Cleveland Browns. Having surgery kept him out for the last three games of the regular season and two playoff games.
In the 2016 pre-season, Gronkowski pulled a hamstring that caused him to miss the entire pre-season and two regular season games. Until Week 5, he was limited in his movements. He also had lower lumbar sprains in 2018, causing him to miss games. It was attributed to an earlier hit in 2016 that left him with a bruised lung.
All of this goes to show how much Rob Gronkowski has been battered over the years. It leaves him very vulnerable to injury; something Rob Gronkowski himself knew when he retired. It seems this season the injury bug is back to bite him again.
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