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FOXBORO, Mass. — Rob Gronkowski continues to make progress in his recovery from a nagging hamstring injury suffered during training camp.
The New England Patriots tight end made his season debut last Thursday, suiting up against the Houston Texans after missing the Patriots’ first two regular-season games.
“I felt good, definitely,” Gronkowski said before Wednesday’s Patriots practice. “You’re always sore no matter what after playing a game. No matter if you play 10 plays or 70 plays, (you’re) definitely sore like any other game. But no setbacks, no nothing. Feeling good and just progressing every day.”
The Patriots limited Gronkowski’s workload in his first game back. He played a mere 14 snaps in the 27-0 victory, including just three in the second half, and did not catch a pass.
“Whenever I’m out on the field, I love to go full-go,” he said. “But they put me in the plays where they felt more comfortable, and when I was in those plays, I felt like I was ready to roll.”
It’s fair to expect Gronkowski to play a larger role this Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, but he’s also preaching patience.
“You’ve got to be careful with any injury,” Gronkowski said. “But I mean, if you research hamstrings, if you know anything about hamstrings, you’ve definitely got to be careful. You’ve got to progress. You can’t just hop back in and be full-go 100 percent.
“I wish it was like that. I can’t wait until I’m friggin’ going crazy out there again. So I’m just progressing myself into it and feeling better every single day.”
With Gronk still working his way back, tight end Martellus Bennett has been a workhorse for the Patriots this season, playing 98.6 percent of the team’s offensive snaps through the first three games.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images