Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski left Sunday night’s game in the first half to get evaluated for a concussion after taking a big hit from Seahawks safety Earl Thomas.
Gronkowski wound up being cleared to return to the game after what he called “a good, clean hit” as big as any he’s taken over the course of his career.
“Yeah, that was a big hit for sure; probably one of the hardest I’ve got hit in my career for sure,” Gronkowski said to reporters after the game. "[It was] by a good player; a good fast player who’s like a missile. It was a good, clean hit; nothing against it. I just took it and it just knocked the wind out of me a little bit, that’s all. If you’ve ever gotten the wind knocked out of you, you know what that feels like. Just down for about a minute or two, it’s a little tough to breath, but once it comes back, you’re good.”
Gronkowski was also involved on the last play of the game when a Tom Brady pass fell incomplete after Gronkowski and Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor made contact in the end zone. Patriots coach Bill Belichick said it was a well-officiated game and Gronkowski took a page from the coach’s book by saying “it is what it is” when asked about no flag being thrown on Chancellor.
