Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski remains on schedule in recovery from a serious knee injury.
According to the Patriots’ website, all signs point toward Gronkowski being ready to play in Week One, nine months after he suffered a torn ACL and MCL on December 8 against the Browns.
However, as the Patriots’ site notes, the real question is whether Gronkowski can play 16 games. Gronkowski missed five games in 2012 and nine games in 2013, and his susceptibility to getting himself hurt has become a major problem in New England.
The Patriots would love to see Gronkowski stay healthy for 16 games and play the way he played the last time he was healthy for 16 games: In 2011, when he was healthy all year, he caught 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns. If the Patriots can’t get that kind of production out of Gronkowski, their lack of depth at tight end will be a problem.