THE NEW ENGLAND Patriots are in the driving seat for a place in the playoffs and home advantage.
But their Super Bowl chances took a hit on Thursday evening with the news that star tight end Rob Gronkowksi will need back surgery and is reportedly set to miss eight weeks.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the recovery timeline which would rule Gronkowski out for the remainder of the regular season and the bulk, if not all of, the Pats’ playoff run.
Gronkowski hobbled out of last weekend’s win against the New York Jets and was later diagnosed with a herniated disc.
He is scheduled to have surgery on Friday, leaving Martellus Bennett — if fit himself — as the Patriots’ number one tight end for the week 13 visit of the LA Rams and for the foreseeable future.
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