Gronkowski Out For Season Opener Against The Cardinals, As The List Of Absent Patriots Grows
Rob Gronkowski will be out for the New England Patriots’ season opener against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday night. The Patriots changed Gronkowski’s status from questionable late Friday. The loss of their star tight end is just another in a growing list of starting Patriots players who won’t be on the field for the first game.
According to MSN, Gronkowski had limited practice this week as he deals with a nagging hamstring injury. Gronkowski told reporters earlier in the week that he had not been “100%” since the Patriots held a joint practice with the Bears last month.
The loss of Gronkowski means fewer options for back-up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo is standing in for the Patriots’ golden boy, Tom Brady, who is serving a four-game suspension as a result of his role in New England’s “Deflategate” scandal. Ironically, the Patriots also find themselves benching lineman Jonathan Cooper, an oft-injured former Arizona Cardinal whom the Patriots traded Chandler Jones and a draft pick for. The loss of Cooper is further exasperated by an injured Nate Solder, who has also been ruled out.
Along with Tom Brady, the NFL announced this week that another Patriot, Rob Ninkovich would be suspended for four games due to his testing positive for a banned substance. While the Arizona Cardinals had become famous for their phrase “next man up” due to the plethora of injuries the team suffered in the 2014 season, it seems that the Patriots will have to adapt to this motto to make a go of the 2016 season.
The loss of Gronkowski and two important lineman could spell disaster for Garoppolo. Gronkowski is one of the league’s most dominating tight ends, and for a back up quarterback to rely on back up lineman to protect him when he doesn’t even have Gronk to throw to could mean a rough start to the season for the Patriots.
The Arizona Cardinals made a decent run for the Super Bowl last year, coming within one game’s reach, just like the Patriots. Analysts expect the Cardinals to stay on track to make another Super Bowl run this year and both quarterback Carson Palmer and the field-dominating safety Tyrann Mathieu are expected to be back full force from injuries suffered at the end of last season.
Despite a possible rough start, however, the Patriots are still considered to be one of the top tier teams for 2016. ESPN Power Rankings put the Patriots in third and the Cardinals in fourth, and CBS Sports analysts rank the Patriots second. Of course, the power rankings were released before the loss of Rob Gronkowski was announced, but elite quarterback Tom Brady will be back for the final 12 games and with a little luck, the Patriots can hope that Rob Gronkowski is miraculously healed even before that.
Undoubtedly, the only people to suffer more than Patriots and their fans over the loss of Gronkowski and Cooper and Solder are the legions of fantasy football team owners who still believe a Brady-less Patriots will succeed. Gronkowksi has been the number one tight end in fantasy league football since 2011. Those who drafted him are sure to feel the sting this weekend as Rob relaxes at home.
Until Rob Gronkowski is back up and running and making catches, however, fans who are wanting a Gronkowski fix can tune in to watch Rob’s little brother, Glenn Gronkowski, who will be debuting as the starting full back for the Buffalo Bills this season. And for those who are missing the Manning Bowl now that Peyton is retired, if Rob’s hamstring is better by Week 4, you can tune in to watch some brother rivalry between the Gronkowskis as the Bills take on the Patriots on October 2.
[Photo by Christian Peterson/Getty Images.]
