Rob Gronkowski Undergoes Surgery On Injured Ankle, According To Report

Gronkowski hasn’t been at either of the Patriots OTA practices sessions so far in the offseason, but reportedly no longer is walking around with a limp. The Patriots have made an effort not to push Gronkowski so far, which is completely understandable. Gronk says he’s recovering just fine, however.

“Just taking it day by day,” Gronkowski told The Boston Herald at a charity event. “Everything is going well, just feeling better every single week.”

And now that the season is over, we’re back to talking about Gronkowski’s ankle. According to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal, Gronkowski had arthroscopic surgery on his ankle Friday morning. Per Mullen, the recovery time is about two and a half months.

Because it’s the offseason, the recovery timetable shouldn’t be a big deal. He’ll be limited during part of the Patriots offseason program but it sounds like he’ll be ready to roll after the draft if all goes well.

He was invisible for most of the game and finished with just two receptions for 26 yards. So was the ankle bothering him?

He told reporters that he was 100 percent but his performance suggests otherwise. Gronkowski wasn’t even on the field for the start of the Patriots final drive but did come back in on the final hail mary. He didn’t seem to have as much burst as he usually does and didn’t come off his blocks as explosively as he usually does.

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CSNNE’s Michael Giardi reported that Gronkowski arrived to Lucas Oil Stadium in the same special black shoe he’s been wearing.

We’ve known for the last two weeks that he’ll play in the Super Bowl but at less than 100 percent. The Giants will likely test him out early to see what kind of condition he’s in. And the Pats have also had two weeks to prepare with a less-than-100-percent Gronkowski so it’ll be interesting to see how they deal with him offensively.

Since then, the GRANKLE has taken us all on a roller coaster ride of a emotion, with the media diligently answering every question we’ve had, such as, “So is he going to play?,” “He’s still playing, right?,” “Wait, how is this different from yesterday?,” and “Why are we still talking about this?” Let’s re-live every crazy twist and turn with THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF ROB GRONKWOSKI’S ANKLE INJURY:

Sunday, January 22nd: Ouch!

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For the latest Super Bowl updates, be sure to follow this StoryStream. Also be sure to check out Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and Giants blog Big Blue View.

Rob Gronkowski has been in the news for the past 10 days, as everyone wonders whether a severe ankle sprain will keep him out of Super Bowl 46 in Indianapolis. Thursday we got an answer.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “Barring a setback in practice this week, Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski will play in Super Bowl XLVI. Expected to be limited at practice today.” But we knew this, right? It’s an open question as to whether he’ll be able to contribute on one-and-a-half legs, but it never should have been a question as to whether Gronk was gonna play.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Gronkowski is expected to be limited in practice on Thursday, which is a sign of improvement considering he hasn’t practiced at all during Super Bowl week.

Gronkowski suffered the injury in the AFC Championship game and later returned in that same game so I wouldn’t worry too much about him being available for the Super Bowl. He likely won’t be 100 percent for the game with his ankle injury but he will be on the field.

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Gronkowski might wear a special cleat that could cut down on swelling (via ESPN):

The tight end said “we’re going over that tonight, so we will see with the training staff.”

When asked whether or not he would definitly play on Sunday, Gronkowski remained slightly hesitant:

Gronkowski scored 17 TD catches and racked up 1,327 receiving yards in 2011, both new single-season records for NFL tight ends.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss has the photo evidence of Gronkowski’s boot-less foot.

Gronkowski’s ankle is by far the biggest injury news for either team. He hasn’t practice since the week leading into the AFC Championship game and he may not practice at all leading up to the Super Bowl. The Patriots will have practice Wednesday through Friday.

More: Newsflash! Tom Brady is confident.

While Gronkowski isn’t expected to practice all week, he is expected to be available for and play in Super Bowl XLVI. The question will be how effective the star tight end will be on his bum ankle.

The recovery time from ankle injuries is notoriously slow due to the complex nature of the joint itself. The tibia, fibula, and talus bones make up the ankle joint. These three bones are bound together by the joint capsule and surrounding ligaments. Due to the force and torque applied to his leg when tackled by Pollard, Gronkowski suffered an injury to the syndesmotic ligaments of the ankle, more commonly known as a high ankle sprain.

The syndesmotic ligaments are responsible for holding the lower ends of the tibia and fibula (lower leg bones) together. Injuries to these ligaments are usually more serious than to other areas of the ankle, causing significant pain and difficulty bearing weight. The severity of and prognosis for recovery for ankle sprains are often a source of confusion, primarily due to misunderstanding over what exactly the different “grades” of sprains actually mean. In brief:

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Immediately following the AFC Championship game, word was that Gronkowski was expected to play in the Super Bowl. Since then, nothing has been reported to the contrary. Of course, if Gronkowski did sit, the Patriots have a more than capable replacement in Aaron Hernandez. The offense would lose a lot of its versatility, however. Both players are often on the field at the same time, with Gronkowski lined up at tight end and Hernandez in an H-back position.

For the latest Super Bowl updates, be sure to follow this StoryStream. Also be sure to check out Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and Giants blog Big Blue View.

For the latest Super Bowl updates, be sure to follow this StoryStream. Also be sure to check out Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and Giants blog Big Blue View.

According to the Boston Herald, a source says that Gronkowski will be ready to play in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants.

Certainly good news for Patriots fans. If the injury is indeed nothing serious, good news for Gronkowski as well.

Gronkowski came down awkwardly on his ankle (video here) and looked like he had a serious injury. He went to the locker room to get his ankle re-taped and missed just three minutes of action before returning.

After the game, he avoided questions about his injured ankle from reporters but did say it was “good.” ESPN Boston reports Gronkowski was spotted after the game with a walking boot, but that could just be precautionary.