It’s alarming, to say the least, to know that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski needs back surgery after a quartet of arm procedures.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, downplayed the gravity of the situation on WQAM radio in Miami earlier today.
“This is a lingering problem that Rob’s had for a while that’s he’s been playing with, actually through all of last season,” Rosenhaus told Joe Rose of WQAM. “The recovery will be very comparable to the amount of time he’ll miss with the arm surgery. So why not get it down and make sure when he is healthy he’s 100 percent and doesn’t have to address the back down the road?”
Rosenhaus said the back surgery is not “serious,” and that the problem is unrelated to the back issue that caused Gronkowski to miss the entire 2009 college season at Arizona.
“This is a new injury and it’s minor, it’s not as significant [as the prior back injury],” Rosenhaus said. “I don’t think it’s a big deal, I think it’s more preventive maintenance than anything else. It’s something that, although he needs it, he’s had it for a while and he’s been able to function.”
Regardless, Pats fans have every reason to be nervous about the short-term and long-term health of Gronkowski, who has been plagued by injuries since putting together an incredible 2011 regular season. Starting with an ankle injury suffered against the Ravens in the AFC title game (which required surgery after Super Bowl XLVI) and continuing with his broken forearm and, apparently, a back injury that has been lingering for months, it’s fair to wonder just how long he can perform at the NFL level.