The reality of being without his top weapon heading into the playoffs is a hard one for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
But even though Rob Gronkowski is undergoing back surgery today which is expected to be season-ending, Brady is trying to rally what’s left of his troops.
During his weekly interview with Jim Gray of Westwood One, Brady acknowledged there was a lot of work to be done.
“Well, you know, it doesn’t help losing great players,” Brady said, via Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “And to not have Gronk out there — one of our best players and most dependable, consistent players — and not in the lineup makes things challenging for us. But that’s what the NFL season is about. It’s about overcoming challenges.
“We have a lot of good players on our team that are going to need to fill the void, and it’s a big void left by such a spectacular player in Gronk. But I don’t think that any of us are going to give up on what we’re trying to accomplish.”
The injury automatically puts more on the plate of tight end Martellus Bennett, but they already leaned heavily on two-tight end sets so shifting to more of a three-wide receiver look is going to create opportunities for players such as Malcolm Mitchell and Danny Amendola (Jeff Fisher shudders at the thought).
But there’s no replacing his big-play ability in the near term, as he was averaging 21.6 yards per catch.
“He’s such a mentally tough person,” Brady said. “He’s physically tough. He’s got such a great energy and spirit about him. We’re all wishing him the very best. Nobody wants Gronk not out there. Everybody wants Gronk out there every play of every game. But that’s not our reality. We still have a job to do, and we’re going to go out there and try to do it as well as we possibly can. . . .
“I’ve seen him the last few days so I’ve spoken to him a few times. Everyone’s thinking about him and what he’s gone through. It’s such a physical sport, it’s hard to see people you care about go through injuries. He’s gone through his fair share, but I also know the resolve that he has, and that will never change with him. He’ll be as determined as ever to get back and get better as soon as possible.”
But that apparently won’t be this season.
