Its certainly good news that Gronk came back to practice. However before everyone gets too excited, IIRC, Mankins, Jones, Hernandez, and Chung off the top of my head, all practiced (limited) for a week BEFORE they actually were cleared to play. I don't think Gronk will be any different.
Listen. this is good news, but not THAT good..
I don't care much whether Gronk plays this week. Sure, I'd love him to be ready, but I don't want him to play if he's not, and one practice in shorts isn't likely to be enough. But it, and being listed as "questionable", are both steps towards getting back.
Mike Lombardi discussed getting Gronk back before the playoffs this morning on Dennis & Callahan:
Rob Gronkowski has not practiced this week, but Lombardi says it is important that the Patriots get him back on the field before the playoffs so that he can be ready.
“I think Gronk has got to play,” Lombardi said. “You’ve got to play football if you’re cleared to play. … I think once he’s cleared to play, you’ve got to get him some reps and depending on where they are in the playoffs and especially if you have to play in Round 1. You want to make sure he’s not going into Round 1 without getting any reps.”
Lombardi: 49ers 'toughest challenge' for Pats
The Pats will have a better idea after this week whether they're likely to have a bye. Beat SF and the road is clear, though not guaranteed. Beat SF and Denver loses and the road is very clear, as I think Baltimore will have a hard time not losing at least one more. Lose to SF and the road to a bye is much, much harder, though not impossible. But either way, they need to get Gronk ready to be in form for the playoffs. So I could see a couple of scenarios:
1. He's out for the SF game, practices next week, plays a few snaps for Jax, and then plays the Miami game.
2. Same as #1 but he misses the Jax game, and then plays the Miami game.
3. He's out for the SF game, practices next week, plays the Jax game, and then can be used sparingly for the Miami game depending on where things stand.
4. He plays a few snaps in the SF game to keep them on their toes and see how he does, and then is worked into the mix for the Jacksonville game.
Again, we're talking about a break here that has a titanium rod in it. If the bone is healed, it's healed. It's not like a muscle pull that will get re-aggravated. It's not a weight-bearing injury. It won't effect his speed or mobility. But there's obviously no benefit to putting him at risk if he's not fully cleared.
