Rob Gronkowski was Back…and Then He Was Gone Again

Rob Gronkowski was back (no pun intended)…and then he was gone again. Buccaneers
fans sat with bated breath for a month after Gronk suffered 1 broken rib, 4 cracked ribs, and a
punctured lung in Week 3. His return was slated for Week 8, where the Buccaneers took on the
division rival New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately, his return was short-lived, lasting only five
plays before being sidelined with back spasms. After the game, Head Coach Bruce Arians
admitted that Gronkowski “probably shouldn’t have played.” In that, he added his optimism for
Gronk’s return after the bye. When Gronk is in the lineup, he is effective, with a quarter of his
receptions being for touchdowns this year. The Week 9 Bye should allow for Gronkowski to rest
up, and return to form before the Buccaneers return to action against the Washington Football
Team in Week 10. The concern, though, is that he has had multiple back injuries in his career, and back spasms are highly recurrent.