Rob Gronkowski wowed us during WrestleMania 33 with a big-time hit in the ring after declaring himself ready for NFL offseason workouts beforehand.
Speaking with Jonathan Coachman of ESPN before hitting the big stage in Orlando, Fla., he said he’ll be “ready to roll” for the New England Patriots’ offseason program and is fully healthy. He mentioned he’s been spending a lot of time with the team during the week as he works back into football shape following surgery last year to repair his back. He also said he’s “super excited to get back onto the field.”
This is tremendous news for the Super Bowl champs and their fans. When healthy, there aren’t many offensive players that can impact a game like Gronkowski. In 88 career games he’s caught 405 passes for 6,095 yards and 68 touchdowns, averaging 15 yards per catch.
Those are gaudy numbers, by any measure.
He’ll be joined this year by former Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen, who was brought over in a trade during free agency.
Staying healthy hasn’t been easy for Gronk in recent years, however. He missed 11 games in 2013, one game each the next two years before missing another eight games total in 2016. If he can stay healthy, then New England — a team that seriously loaded up via free agency this year — has a huge leg up on the rest of the AFC to repeat as champion in 2017.