After missing the entire preseason and the first two regular-season games for the New England Patriots, tight end Rob Gronkowski is nearing a return and sources say there is a "50-50" chance that he will return Sunday when the Pats (2-0) take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) at home Sunday.
According to ESPN, a source close to the team said that it can go either way on whether or not Gronkowski can play, but he has been practicing with the team for several weeks.
The addition of Gronkowski would be huge for New England because despite winning their first two games of the season against the Bills and Jets respectively, quarterback Tom Brady has been visibly frustrated over playing with an unusual cast of players this season and recently compared being without Gronkowski, one of his go-to receivers, as being like a baseball team without an ace.
"He's a great player and he helps in the run game and the pass game, provides a level of toughness for our team, and he's been a really consistent player when he's been out there, so it's really -- it's hard to replace him; there's only one Gronk," Brady told WEEI Radio in Boston, according to ESPN. "I know he's working his butt off to get back, and every time I see him he's got a great attitude about his rehabilitation and what he's going through to get back on the field."
A video of Gronkowki's progress update can be viewed here.
Gronkowski, 24, has been working his way back from offseason back and forearm surgeries, and though New England is unbeaten on the year, it could use him back in a bad way as right now Brady is throwing to three rookie wide receivers and an undrafted tight end that are each going through some growing pains.
Brady showed his anger a couple of times in the team's Week 2 victory when his receivers ran the wrong routes.
Brady completed less than fifty percent of his passes last week and the team was only 4-for-18 on third down conversions in their Week 2 home victory over the Jets. Brady can use Gronkowski back sooner rather than later as Gronk has been his most trustworthy receiver in recent years.
Last season, through 11 games, Gronkowski had 55 receptions for 790 yards while averaging 14.4 yards per reception and scoring 11 touchdowns. For his career through three years and 43 games, all spent with New England, Gronkowski has 187 receptions for 2,663 yards while averaging 14.2 yards per reception and reaching the end zone 38 times.
Brady has been doing all he can in the first two weeks of the season with what he has, but if New England wants to win its fifth-straight AFC East crown it will need to have some of its big players return. Gronkowski is first on the list of player to return as wideout Danny Amendola will be out two-to-six weeks with a groin injury and running back Shane Vereen will miss at least eight weeks while he recovers from wrist surgery.
Without his big time receivers so far this season, Brady is 48-for-91 with a completion percentage of 52.7% with three touchdowns and an interception.
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