Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski did not practice Thursday

The likelihood of Rob Gronkowski missing the New England Patriots Week 11 game against the San Francisco 49ers is increasing.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Gronk, was held out of practice for a second straight day on Thursday while nursing a lung injury suffered on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Gronkowski is dealing with internal injuries, which are always quite serious. To even get to the game, Gronk would need to fly across the country. As of Wednesday, he wasn’t cleared to travel anywhere (read more about that here).

Lastly, Gronkowski has had his share of injuries throughout his career. So, the Patriots certainly know how to win without him. In 2016, Gronk missed the first two games of the season. Yet, despite being without not only Gronkowski, but also Tom Brady, New England went 2-0 in those games.

This week, the Pats will have Brady. They also benefit from playing one of the NFL’s two worst teams. The exclusion of Gronk would make this game slightly more interesting. But even with that, there’s no reason to think that San Francisco will be remotely competitive against New England.

As fun as it is to watch Gronkowski play, caution is the Patriots friend here.

By Michael Dixon

Bay Area born and raised, I have extensive experience in both the print and online worlds. There are few ... More about Michael Dixon