Rob Gronkowski will most likely need surgery
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski might still have an infection his left forearm, and this comes after a third operation that was supposed to help take care of that infection. The Boston Herald reported that Gronkowski would need a fourth surgery on his forearm, as multiple sources told the Herald that the infection was “stubborn”. Later, the USA Today reported that Gronkowski might not need surgery and that doctors are still deciding.
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Gronkowski is reportedly still on his six-week cycle of antibiotics, so the doctors are still waiting to decide whether or not Gronk needs a fourth surgery this offseason. The first and second surgeries were to repair different breaks that occurred during the season in the months of November and January, and it’s safe to say that some Pats fans are worried about the star TE.
If Gronkowski’s infection is already clear, then he’ll be good to go for the start of the regular season and will only need a new plate in his arm. The Pats medical staff is reportedly looking at alternatives to surgery, so he probably won’t need surgery if the infection is indeed clear. But if it isn’t, then that’s when Gronkowski’s status to start the regular season is put in jeopardy, because the Patriots medical staff would have to wait until the infection is cleared before putting in the new plate.
According to two sources close to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, the chances of Rob Gronkowski going under the knife are “very likely”, and the recovery from surgery would be ten weeks. That means if the infection hasn’t been eradicated and the doctors need to wait, Jake Ballard will be the “next man up” for a game or- if worst comes to worst- two.
The Patriots seem to be trying to use other alternatives, but here’s a snippet of the piece on ESPN Boston that might shed some light on how nagging this infection is for Gronk, “Gronkowski was in California visiting friends recently, and when he woke up in the morning, his arm was swollen and he noticed some discharge.”
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