The New England Patriots are heading into a huge game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in Week 6 at home and the status of tight end Rob Gronkowski is still up in the air, as he has not been cleared yet to return and is considered "day-to-day".
According to ESPN.com, Gronkowski has been rumored to be returning on Sunday against the Saints after being ruled out in Week 4 against the Bengals and while he has been practicing with the team, he has not been officially cleared to start. Gronkowski spoke to reporters on Thursday and said that he is feeling good and that he is on his way to getting back and that would be a huge boost for Tom Brady, as his 50-plus game streak of throwing a touchdown pass ended against the Bengals and he could use his red zone threat back.
Last season Gronkowski had double digit touchdown catches once again despite missing time with an injury and he said that he is fine with his current status in regards to getting back on the field. The team desperately needs him back after losing Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker, as the team has struggled greatly on both third downs and in the red zone and after losing their first game of the season, they sure could use him against the 5-0 Saints.
That game could feature two of the best tight ends in the game with Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham and the Patriots would love to have Gronk back on the field. The team has been dealing with injuries all season with Gronkowski as well as running back Shane Vereen and Danny Amendola and after getting Amendola back, Gronk would be a welcome addition and he said that he is excited to get back on the field.
Dr. James Andrews is advising the team and Gronkowski about the injury and now he will have the chance to get back and it would be a bit of an annoyance for the Pats, as by this point they could have put Gronk on the PUP list and he would have been eligible to come off, meaning they could have had the extra roster spot all this time. While that's not the biggest issue for the team, it's a good sign that he is getting closer to starting and fantasy owners should watch closely for his status on Sunday morning.
