Riddle me this: How does Rob Gronkowski go from writhing in pain and getting carted off the field to a game-time decision for next week, while T.J. Ward and Sylvester Williams are already ruled out of next week’s game versus San Diego?
Rob Gronkowski's knee was injured on this play. #NEvsDEN https://t.co/cpKJs6qGJB
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2015
But it’s the Patriots who want to complain about their injury luck, right?
According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, both Williams and Ward will “miss time with high-ankle sprains.” Whether that just means this week’s matchup versus the Chargers or a larger chunk of the season, we don’t yet know.
Last night, when asked whether he believed he’d be back this season, Ward was confident, but he couldn’t say for sure:
“Yes, I’m optimistic. I haven’t gotten the diagnosis yet. It’s painful, but I’m optimistic I’m coming back.”
Undoubtedly, losing either guy for an extended period of time would be a major blow for the Broncos defense; Ward is a Pro Bowler, and Sly is having a breakout season. Still, the most important thing is that they’re healthy for the playoffs; if that means sitting out the next few games, fine.
The good news is that it could have been a lot worse.