Rob Gronkowski won’t play Sunday night versus the Patriots, Jordan Schultz of ESPN reports. Gronkowski is dealing with a rib injury that he suffered during the game last Sunday versus the Rams. Gronk did finish that game but didn’t travel with the team to New England and won’t play this week. In his absence, O.J. Howard is expected to start at tight end, but Cameron Brate should also see some work at the position. It is not yet known if Gronkowski will be able to return next week.
Although not having Gronkowski is a loss for Tom Brady and the offense, it’s not like Tom Brady won’t have plenty of other options as Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Antonio Brown are all healthy and will play.