Rob Gronkowski's season is over.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that MRI tests confirmed that the New England Patriots tight end suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Sunday's 27-26 win over the Cleveland Browns, per a source who spoke with the player.
Gronkowski was set to undergo additional tests Monday to check for further damage, per Rapoport. The team announced late Monday afternoon that Gronkowski was placed on season-ending injured reserve.Â
In addition to the knee injury, Gronkowski also suffered a "slight" concussion, NFL Media's Albert Breer reported, per a source who spoke to the player. ProFootballTalk first reported the concussion.
It's a setback that strips New England's offense of its most valuable weapon and might cost the Patriots their season. New England was 22nd in scoring without Gronk but morphed into arguably the league's most frisky attack east of Denver when the pass-catcher returned from back and multiple arm surgeries in Week 7.
Gronkowski's absence cannot be overstated. He changed the way teams were forced to plan for New England. His presence in the lineup freed Julian Edelman and Shane Vereen to make plays for a team surging toward the AFC's second seed.
The Patriots still are a good bet for the bye, but all bets are off from there. It's too early to count them out, but few players mean more to their team's on-field success than Gronk. Once again, he won't be able to help when December flips to January.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped all the Week 14 games.
