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Rob Gronkowski is no stranger to playing through pain. During his time as a New England Patriots player, he played with injuries such as a forearm fracture, torn ACL, torn MCL, a back vertebral disc hernia, and concussions to name just a few.
Perhaps this is why Gronk was a great fit as a WWE 24/7 champion during his brief retirement from the NFL.
His second season with the Buccaneers has seen much of the same as Gronkowski suffered a punctured lung and multiple rib fractures during a Week 3 matchup vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
Having only played limited snaps in Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints, will Gronk be able to return to face Washington in Week 10?
Is Rob Gronkowski healthy enough to play vs. Washington in Week 10?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians recently spoke about the status of his star tight end on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Here's how Arians summed up Gronkowski's availability for this week's matchup against the Washington Football Team:
"We think in about two or three weeks he'll be back to normal."
That means Rob Gronkowski will not be ready to play this Sunday for the all-important Week 10 NFC matchup against Washington.
Can the Buccaneers win without Gronkowski?
Since the Buccaneers have played a good part of this season without Gronkowski, they understand how to win without their star tight end. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy, as evidenced by their recent Week 8 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Although the Buccaneers did their due diligence and signed veteran free agent tight end Darren Fells this week, they are more than competent at the position with Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard. Howard, a first-round pick out of the University of Alabama, was considered a franchise-altering tight end before suffering a season-ending torn achilles injury in Week 4 of the 2020 NFL season.
Before Gronkowski was lost to rib fractures and a punctured lung, he was on pace to have a highly productive season. In just three weeks of games, he has 16 receptions for 184 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
He was often Tom Brady's clutch option when games were tight, so the Buccaneers will certainly welcome him back with open arms once he is healthy and ready to play.
Tom Brady also has weapons on the outside in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin that help cushion the blow of losing a player like Rob Gronkowski.
Also Read: What is Rob Gronkowski’s Net Worth?
