Patriots Rumors: Rob Gronkowski likely out against Houston Texans

Recent New England Patriots rumors have been about who is playing against the Houston Texans. Will Rob Gronkowski be active?

After losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the preseason, recent Patriots rumors have been about who will be playing in Week 2. With many teams resting starters and veterans in Week 1 of the preseason, that generally sets up for more starters to play in Week 2.

The Patriots were unable to defeat the Jaguars, but the game did give young players a chance play more. As the regular season gets closer, starters need to get some game reps. One of the things that the Patriots do well during training camp is setting up joint practices.

So far, the Patriots have held joint practices with both the Jaguars and the Texans. Seeing differents teams in practice certainly, helps the team get sharper for the regular season.

According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, the Patriots are expected to have most of their starters playing on Saturday night. However, one player that isn’t expected to play is Rob Gronkowski.

It isn’t unusual for Gronkowski to sit out during the preseason, as the Patriots are generally very careful with him. Since Gronkowski is coming back from a season in which he was only able to play eight games, the Patriots obviously want to make sure he is healthy for the start of the season.

When healthy, Gronkowski is the best tight end in the NFL. However, injuries have cost him some time already in his career.

With Gronkowski likely out, this will mean that the other tight ends will be able to get some extra work. Considering the Patriots are a bit banged up right now, resting certain players like Gronkowski makes a lot of sense.

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With the regular season less than a month away, don’t be surprised to see the Patriots hold out Gronkowski for the rest of the preseason. However, the good news is that he appears to be 100 percent heading into the regular season.