According to a report from Albert Breer of NFL.com, Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez will have to satisfy himself with the fish and chips selection in Boston rather than sampling one of the staples of British cuisine in London.
Breer reports that Hernandez did not accompany the Patriots to London for Sunday’s game against the Rams. Hernandez was listed as limited in practice on Wednesday before missing Thursday’s practice, the same kind of pattern the Pats have been following since Hernandez returned from the ankle sprain that kept him out of three games already this season. This report would suggest that Hernandez’s absence on Thursday wasn’t just about maintenance and could signal he’s suffered a setback.
There wasn’t much talk about a great risk that he’d miss this week’s game, but, if the report proves true, the Patriots must have felt that the combination of travel and game would not work out well for the tight end. Hernandez will have two weeks until the Patriots’ next game if he doesn’t play against the Rams, which could be enough time for him to fully heal and be at 100 percent for the second half of the season.
Without Hernandez, the Patriots will rely more on Rob Gronkowski to produce plays from the tight end spot. He continues to be limited in practice because of a hip issue this week, but that didn’t stop him from scoring twice against the Jets last Sunday.