FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has put together an impressive collection of eye-opening plays in his nine-year NFL career, with his rare combination of size, speed and athleticism producing some truly jaw-dropping moments.
Catching the ball in traffic. Carrying defenders on his back. Delivering pummeling blocks in the running game.
Gronkowski, at his best, has been one of the NFL’s most powerful forces.
This is why what unfolded late in the second quarter of Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings stood out as such an outlier, and sparks a question as to whether Gronkowski can ultimately get the consistent explosion back in his legs in order to return to his status as the game’s premier tight end.