NFL

Gronkowski’s status hangs over Patriots’ success

Even after a thrilling last-second victory, the first-place Patriots have problems.

All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, who hasn’t played this season following multiple offseason surgeries on his fractured left forearm, is reportedly creating tension among teammates who question why Tom Brady’s favorite target is dominating during practices, but sitting on Sundays.

Some members of the team have even questioned whether the 24-year-old intends to play at all this season.

There’s curiosity and resentment, and he’s creating it by going out and kicking ass during the week and then he doesn’t show up on game day and help the team win,” a source told ESPN.

Gronkowski has not been cleared by third-party physician Dr. James Andrews, whose involvement suggests there may be distrust between the player and the Patriots over his health and whether he’s ready to play.

Gronkowski first had surgery last season and had a metal plate put in his arm. He then fractured the same forearm in the playoffs. He needed two more surgeries and developed an infection that complicated its healing.

The Patriots didn’t place Gronkowski on the PUP list prior to the season, which has a six-week minimum stay, meaning the team expected him to play before Week 7. But Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the tight end is the only person who can decide whether he’s ready to play.

“Look, he’s a young man that has had a number of different operations and I just want to make clear, cause I know the media has a job to do,” Kraft said in an interview on ESPN New York radio. “Our first concern is his health and safety and doing what’s in his best interest long-term. And he’s the only one who can decide when he’s ready to play and we’re completely behind whatever his decision is.”

Gronkowski’s mother, Diane, said the unnamed sources smearing her son’s name don’t know what he is going through.

“All I can say is Robbie is dying to play. He wants to get out there,” she told the Boston Herald. “He’s doing what he has to do to get back playing. He doesn’t like it. He wants to play. It really bothers him that he’s not playing.”

Though Gronkowski has wanted to play since the team medical staff cleared him for Week 2, according to Diane, her son hasn’t returned yet because of what happened when he returned last year.

“The same people who criticize him for not coming back are the same people who say he came back too soon last time,” she said. “It is what is it is. Rob is the only one who can make this decision. Anybody else who has a comment to make positively or negatively aren’t Rob. They aren’t in his shoes. They didn’t go through the surgeries he went through.

“When they go through four arm surgeries, a back surgery and a foot surgery in a year and a half, then they can make the comments. After the third [forerarm] surgery, Robbie said, ‘I’m never doing this again.’ And weeks later, he’s back in for the fourth one. So he doesn’t want to go back where he was and start all over gain. It wasn’t fun. It was so discouraging.”

Gronkowski has been practicing fully for weeks, running patterns, catching passes and blocking with no hint of the injury. This past week, Gronkowski was said to be dominant in playing the role of Saints tight end Jimmy Graham in practice while taking 50 reps a day on the scout team.

Certain members of the team reportedly have doubts Gronkowski would be allowed to practice without any limitations if there were doubts about his health.

“If he’s not playing in games, he damn sure should not be doing what he is in practice,” said the same source. “Whatever is holding him back now isn’t going to be healed in two weeks, because there’s nothing wrong with the arm.”

Some teammates have even begun to express their frustrations with Gronkowski directly, making the locker room an uncomfortable arena for him.

After the Patriots’ 30-27 win over the Saints on Sunday, offensive lineman Logan Mankins was asked by Comcast SportsNet New England about the absentee tight end.

“We uh — I’d rather talk about the guys that frickin’ put it on the line tonight and played their butts off and how about K.T. [Kenbrell Thompkins] making a huge catch, [Tom] Brady throwing a perfect ball, the defense stepping it up, [Stephen] Gostkowski making big field goals — let’s talk about those guys,” Mankins said.