New England Patriots Are Wise To Keep Rob Gronkowski Out Of OTAs

Outside of Tom Brady, the most important player for the New England Patriots is tight end Rob Gronkowski. His mere presence requires opposing defenses to account for him on a different level than virtually anyone else in the league, and the Patriots’ offense is far better for it.

But Gronkowski’s injury history has been noteworthy, as he has missed at least one game in four straight seasons. So it makes sense to hold him out from what can be meaningless offseason work, but Gronkowski’s absence from the first day of Patriots’ minicamp on Tuesday still invited speculation ranging from an undisclosed injury to possible displeasure with his contract.

But Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reported otherwise, with a suggestion the Patriots are holding Gronkowski out of OTAs strictly to keep him healthy. He did not play in the preseason last year, and that seems likely to happen again in 2016.

Gronkowski’s absence from practice at this stage sets up offseason acquisition Martellus Bennett to get more time with the first-team offense. The intricacies of New England’s system require pass catchers to be on the same page with Brady on a high level, so Bennett needs the extra work to have a good chance to step right in as a productive player once the games count.

NFL teams like to make offseason work seem more important than it really is, particularly for veteran players whi have experience with the same systems and schemes. Gronkowski truly would not benefit much from on-field practice in June, with only added injury risk on the back end. So the Patriots are absolutely right to prioritize his health, and I don’t expect Gronk to see serious practice time until training camp.