Rob Gronkowski

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski likened the rib injury he suffered in a Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams to what it might feel like getting shot.

"I never got shot before, but that's kind of like what it felt like," Gronkowski told reporters Friday.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection previously told Fox Sports' Jay Glazer he suffered four cracked ribs, one broken rib and a punctured lung against the Rams, which forced him to miss four weeks, including a potential reunion game against the New England Patriots.

Gronkowski made a short-lived return for a Week 8 loss to the New Orleans Saints, but he suffered a back injury that forced him to miss last week's loss to the Washington Football Team after the team's Week 9 bye.

The 32-year-old University of Arizona product said Friday the back problems are more of a long-standing problem:

I mean, I definitely had a lot of back issues. I mean, it's not like it's hidden. I mean, everyone knows that. I've had a few back surgeries. Missed a couple times with it. So I would just say, just gotta be careful with the things I do. With the type of rehab I'm doing and everything like that and also just be aware of it when coming back and just being noteworthy of it. That's really all. I mean, other than that, I mean, I think it's good to go.

Gronk, who was a full participant in the Bucs' first two practices this week, suggested he'll be ready to roll for a Monday Night Football matchup with the New York Giants.

His return should provide a boost to a Tampa Bay squad looking to get back on track after back-to-back losses. The veteran tight end was off to a strong start before the injuries, tallying 16 catches for 184 yards and four touchdowns through three games.

Gronkowski, who briefly retired in 2019, returned last year and caught two touchdowns in the Super Bowl en route to his fourth championship ring.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ruled tight end Rob Gronkowski out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints because of back spasms.

The 32-year-old was previously ruled out of the Week 4 game against the New England Patriots. It would have been a homecoming for the superstar after spending the first nine years of his career with the team.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports later reported Gronkowski had four cracked ribs, one broken rib and a punctured lung. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the issue could keep him out "multiple weeks."

It slowed down an incredible start to the year for the tight end, who had four touchdowns in his first two games. 

The 2020 season represented just the third time in his career that he appeared in all 16 regular-season games, but injuries are once again holding the veteran back.

Cameron Brate could see more snaps with Gronkowski unavailable.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski and former WWE Superstar Mojo "Rawley" Muhtadi are rewarding the fan who gave Tom Brady's 600th career touchdown ball back on Sunday.

According to TMZ Sports, Gronk and Muhtadi are partnered with a crypto company called Beyond Protocol, and they are gifting Byron Kennedy with 690 tokens, which are worth close to $31,000 in total value.

After Brady threw his 600th career touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Evans in a 38-3 trouncing of the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Evans accidentally handed the football to a fan.

That led to a Bucs representative speaking with the fan, who then relinquished the valuable commodity:

Mike Evans accidentally gave a fan Tom Brady's 600th TD ball and the Bucs had to negotiate to get it back 😅

(via @NFLonCBS)pic.twitter.com/j0hfiBPQ1t

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 24, 2021

After Kennedy made the exchange with the Bucs employee, Darren Rovell of The Action Network reported that Ken Goldin, the founder of Goldin Auctions, told him the football was worth $500,000.

As a result, the Buccaneers agreed to give Kennedy the following in return for the football, per Rovell:

JUST IN: The deal has been made with the Bucs fan who gave up the Brady ball.

He will receive:

2 signed jerseys + a helmet from Tom.

A signed Mike Evans jersey + his game cleats.

A $1K credit at the Bucs team store.

2 season tickets for the remainder of this season + next

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 25, 2021

Additionally, Brady announced during an appearance on the Manningcast for Monday Night Football (h/t TMZ Sports) that he was giving Kennedy a full Bitcoin, which is worth around $62,000.

In terms of the total value of everything Kennedy has received, it isn't close to $500,000, but Brady, Gronk and Mojo have helped make it a pretty good haul.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star tight end Rob Gronkowski told Fox Sports' Jay Glazer he is recovering from "four cracked ribs, one broken rib and a punctured lung" suffered during last week's loss to the Los Angeles Rams after taking a big hit from linebacker Terrell Lewis. 

Remarkably, Gronk returned to that game. But he's been ruled out of Sunday night's matchup with his former team, the New England Patriots, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he could miss weeks with the injury. 

Schefter added that X-rays on Gronkowski's ribs originally came back negative, since X-rays won't show hairline fractures, though further MRI testing revealed the full extent of his injuries.  

A) Calls into question whether #Gronk should have returned to Week 3 game.
B) Not sure what the difference between "cracked" and "broken" rib is.
C) If "punctured" lung, would likely mean IR stint.
D) #Gronk not on IR yet with 3 games in next 12 days. https://t.co/1SSfP9fy8y

— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) October 3, 2021

"We held out hope all week that Gronk would be ready," a team source told Schefter. "He's a different breed."

The Buccaneers officially ruled him out Saturday. 

"He made progress but not enough," head coach Bruce Arians added.

I spoke to Bucs coach Bruce Arians on what led to Rob Gronkowski going from “game-time decision” Friday to “out.” pic.twitter.com/Y71qfq91a3

— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) October 3, 2021

It's a major loss for the Bucs. Gronkowski, 32, has been superb through three games, catching 16 passes for 184 yards and four touchdowns. Without him, Tom Brady loses one of his most trusted targets in the red zone. 

The Buccaneers are spoiled with weapons in the passing game, however, with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown at wideout and Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard at tight end. 

It's a tough game for Gronkowski to miss, as he and Brady were set to return to Foxborough to face their former team and head coach, Bill Belichick.

Fantasy managers got bad news Saturday morning, as Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski reportedly will not play in Week 4 against the New England Patriots.

The late scratch might leave some owners scrambling to find a replacement, so we found four tight ends who are rostered in less than 50 percent of fantasy leagues, according to Fantasy Pros, who would be good additions.

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Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills (27.9 percent rostered)

Dawson Knox is emerging as a favorite red-zone target of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. The third-year player has scored in each of the last two weeks, tying for the team lead with two receiving touchdowns.

Knox has shown steady hands this season, as he's made 10 catches on 12 targets through three games. He ranks fourth on the team with 107 receiving yards.

Knox and the Bills have a soft matchup this week against the Houston Texans, who are giving up 385.7 yards per game. Knox will likely build on his strong start to the season in Week 4.

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Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys (24.0 percent rostered)

Dalton Schultz is on the upswing, coming off a huge performance in Week 3 with six receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Schultz, who ranks third on the Dallas Cowboys in receptions (14), targets (15) and receiving yards (143), has separated himself on the depth chart from Blake Jarwin. Schultz played 68.4 percent of the snaps Monday, while Jarwin played 56.6 percent, per Pro Football Reference.

The Cowboys face a tough test in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers, so look for Schultz to be a safety blanket for quarterback Dak Prescott.

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Jared Cook, Los Angeles Chargers (48.2 percent rostered)

Jared Cook has been a solid addition to the Los Angeles Chargers passing attack. In his first year with the team, the 13-year veteran has racked up 10 catches for 111 yards through three games.

While Cook has yet to reach the end zone, he ranks third on the team with 16 targets. He's developed a chemistry with second-year quarterback Justin Herbert, who ranks fifth in the NFL with 956 passing yards.

Herbert likes to spread the ball around, as six different players had a reception in last week's win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Cook will be playing a revenge game Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, whom he played for in 2017 and 2018. He will likely have ample opportunities against his former team.

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Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings (14.9 percent rostered)

Tyler Conklin has established himself as TE1 for the Minnesota Vikings after Irv Smith Jr. underwent knee surgery.

Conklin finished with seven catches for 70 yards and a touchdown in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks. Through three games, he has hauled in 13 of 16 targets for 126 yards, which ranks fourth on the team.

The Vikings face a tough matchup in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns, who rank third in the NFL in total defense (248.7 yards allowed per game). With quarterback Kirk Cousins off to a strong start, consider Conklin a streaming option going forward.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski has been ruled out for Sunday night's game against the New England Patriots and could miss several more games, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Bucs’ TE Rob Gronkowski suffered multiple fractured ribs last Sunday that threaten to sideline him for multiple weeks, sources tell ESPN.

Initial X-rays were clean but follow up MRIs were not. “We held out hope all week he’d be ready,” said one source. “He’s a different breed.”

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 2, 2021

The 32-year-old was hurt Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, though X-rays were negative. He sat out the 2019 campaign but appeared in all 16 games for the Buccaneers last year.

Gronkowski will go down as one of the best tight ends in league history.

He is a four-time Super Bowl champion, four-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler who has five seasons with double-digit touchdown catches, including when he led the NFL with 17 during the 2011 season.

While the Arizona product had only modest production last season, he has returned to being one of the league's premier tight ends this season with 16 receptions for 184 yards and four touchdowns in three games.

Much of the focus regarding Sunday's game is on quarterback Tom Brady's first return to Foxborough after he spent 20 years with the Pats, but Gronk's return would have been a significant subplot as well since he played nine seasons for the Pats.

Look for Tampa Bay to rely on O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate at tight end with Gronk out and for Brady to target his wide receiver trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have listed tight end Rob Gronkowski as doubtful for Sunday night's game against the New England Patriots.

Gronkowski has not practiced this week after suffering a rib injury during last week's loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

It would be a huge blow to fantasy managers if he misses Sunday since he is the No. 2 tight end in point-per-reception fantasy scoring this season.

While Gronkowski was a fantasy star for much of his career with the New England Patriots, his production was modest last season with the Bucs following a one-year retirement.

Reunited with quarterback Tom Brady, Gronk was a borderline fantasy starter, finishing with 45 receptions for 623 yards and seven touchdowns. He raised his level of play during the postseason, though, and caught two touchdowns in Tampa's Super Bowl LV win over the Kansas City Chiefs, which may have been a sign of things to come in 2021.

Gronk has been a huge part of the Bucs offense through three games this year, making 16 grabs for 184 yards and four touchdowns.

The expectation was that Gronkowski and Brady would be primed for a huge game against their former team in New England, but with Gronk unlikely to play, some of Brady's other weapons will have to fill the void.

Backup tight ends Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard haven't done much behind Gronk this season. Brate has five receptions for 43 yards, and Howard has two catches for 32 yards.

Neither is an advisable fantasy start this week, although Brate could be worth a flier for fantasy managers in dire need of a tight end.

It is more likely that Tampa's outstanding trio of wide receivers will get most of the looks in the passing game instead.

Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are both weekly starters. They have combined for 35 receptions for 446 yards and four touchdowns.

No. 3 receiver Antonio Brown didn't play last week after being placed on the COVID-19 list, but he will be available Sunday, and he went off for 121 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.

Now in his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rob Gronkowski is in a good spot physically and mentally ahead of his team's trip to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots this Sunday. 

Speaking to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, Gronkowski said playing with the Bucs has "rejuvenated" his love for football:

“I love the atmosphere here, especially my teammates, coaches. Everyone works hard. We get our things done. We have a good time out here, too, especially (working against) the defensive side of the ball. They’re always cracking jokes. It feels good. I’m rejuvenated to come out here, a new sense of energy. A lot of people bring a lot of good energy on the team on both sides of the ball, which is great. To feel refreshed, to have a new rookie year, it feels good. And it gave me the boost to come back (this season).”

Gronkowski spent the first nine years of his career with the Patriots, but a series of injuries led him to retire in March 2019 from the NFL a few weeks after a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. 

Tom Brady's decision to sign with the Bucs as a free agent in March 2020 provided a spark for Gronkowski to return to the league and join his former Patriots teammate. 

"It just happened to be the right opportunity down in Tampa," Gronkowski told reporters in April 2020. "Yes, Tom was like the appetizer of the whole meal. He got me hooked when he went down to Tampa. I saw what was down there."

The Patriots dealt Gronkowski and a seventh-round draft pick to Tampa Bay in exchange for a compensatory fourth-round pick. He adjusted well to his new home, catching 45 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. 

Gronk was the Bucs' leading receiver in Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs. The five-time Pro Bowler caught six passes for 67 yards and two scores in a 31-9 victory. 

So far this season, Gronkowski has 184 receiving yards and four touchdowns through three games. 

Sunday's showdown between the Buccaneers and Patriots is one of the most anticipated regular-season game of the year. It's understandably being billed as Brady's return to New England, with the iconic quarterback just 68 yards shy of surpassing Drew Brees for the most passing yards in NFL history (80,358).

Gronkowski was also a significant contributor for the Patriots from 2010-18. 

A four-time All-Pro, Gronkowski is the Patriots' all-time leader in touchdown receptions (79) and ranks second in receiving yards (7,861). He won three Super Bowls with the organization and set an NFL record for most touchdown catches in a season by a tight end (17 in 2011).    

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians told reporters Sunday that tight end Rob Gronkowski is healthy after X-rays on his ribs were negative.

Gronkowski took a hard hit during Sunday's 34-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams but eventually returned to the field. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday that Gronkowski "looks likely to play" against the New England Patriots on Sunday night after X-rays on Monday came back negative.

The 32-year-old returned to the NFL last season after taking a year away from football, joining his long-time teammate Tom Brady with the Bucs. But he is no longer the game-changing force at tight end he was during his prime, when he was a five-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro selection.

At his peak, Gronkowski was a touchdown machine, with double-digit scores in five of his first six seasons and 17 touchdown catches in 2011 alone. He was a major part of New England's dynasty, winning three Super Bowl titles.

On this Bucs offense, though, he's further down the pecking order than he's been in the past, with star receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans receiving the bulk of Brady's targets.

Tampa's tight end depth would be tested this year if Gronkowski is forced to miss any time, although it has O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate as options.

Hot starts to the 2021 season helped Rob Gronkowski and others boost their Madden 22 ratings.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star jumped two points in the latest update from an 87 to 89, as former player Chad Johnson explained:

Gronk just keeps on balling, and his Madden rating just keeps going 📈 @ochocinco @RobGronkowski @Buccaneers @EAMaddenNFL pic.twitter.com/izO6tWXQ2L

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) September 23, 2021

The 32-year-old has scored four touchdowns on 12 catches for 129 yards.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr's rating increased from 81 to 82 in the update.

Carr leads the NFL with 817 passing yards and has four touchdowns and only one interception. The production has come against quality defenses with the Raiders defeating the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 30-year-old has especially impressed with his deep passing, including a long touchdown throw to Henry Ruggs III:

CARR DIMES HENRY RUGGS FOR SIX 💨

(via @NFL)https://t.co/YNvyn7N2ld

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 19, 2021

It helped Carr earn a two-point boost in his deep throw accuracy rating.

In addition to the veterans' recognition for their hot starts, Steelers rookie Najee Harris also gained one point from 76 to 77 with the help of an increased stiff arm rating:

Najee's nasty stiff arm has his Madden rating ticking upwards 🔥 @ohthatsNajee22 @steelers @ochocinco @EAMaddenNFL pic.twitter.com/8dxP7yJ53x

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) September 23, 2021

Harris is averaging only 3.2 yards per carry, but his highlights have turned heads.

Washington Football Team receiver Terry McLaurin also reached a 90 rating after an 11-catch, 107-yard performance on Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants.

The 26-year-old has proved he can excel regardless of the quarterback, which makes him one of the top receivers in the game.