Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has a reputation for being a fun-loving guy who works hard and plays considerably harder. The challenge for the league office will be to forget about who he is and what he’s done in the past, and to focus solely on the behavior that resulted in a grossly unsafe play that looked like something out of the squared circle.
Last in Sunday’s win in Buffalo, Bills defensive back Tre'Davious White made an interception. Acting out of obvious frustration (even though the Patriots were easily winning the game), Gronkowski dove onto White, dropping a forearm in to his helmet.
White, who was turned away and didn’t see it coming, was clearly shaken up and possibly is concussed.
Although it’s never quite clear what the league office will do with something like this, the fact that the play was over, that White didn’t see it coming, and that Gronkowski deliberately hit White in the head could add up to a suspension, knocking him out of next Monday night’s game against the Dolphins.