Report: Rob Gronkowski Not Expected To Miss Time With New Back Injury

BOSTON (CBS) -- Rob Gronkowski was inactive for the Patriots' Week 11 game in San Francisco. He suited up in Week 12, but he didn't make it through the first quarter.

Gronkowski left the game after two offensive series with a back injury, and he did not return.

The injury came as Gronkowski was still recovering from the chest injury he suffered two weeks prior. But Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported that the new injury is not considered serious and is not expected to keep the tight end off the field.

Gronkowski was targeted with passes from Tom Brady twice on Sunday, but he caught neither ball. He appeared to have suffered the injury after the first incompletion, a deep ball which fell out of his reach before he tumbled to the turf himself. Jets safety Marcus Gilchrist fell on top of Gronkowski's back as the two hit the ground.

On the season, he's caught 25 passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns, despite having missed two full games and three quarters in another.

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• New York Jets
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