The week after the conference championship games is often a week to focus on rehabilitating injured players and begin devising a plan for taking down the opposing conference’s juggernaut. Bill Belichick reminded us with a smile on Wednesday that the New England Patriots never take a day off. As the Patriots progressed through the so-called off-week, the injury report made some interesting developments.
New England Patriots Off Week Injury Update
Wednesday, January 24
Did Not Participate
Rob Gronkowski and Deatrich Wise Jr. were both absent from practice on Wednesday. Such a designation was expected from Gronkowski. The Patriots star tight end took a brutal shot to the helmet from Jacksonville Jaguars safety Barry Church in the AFC Championship Game last Sunday.
Gronk takes BIG hit from Barry Church, and is now being evaluated for a concussion.pic.twitter.com/AmR1UZQQBt
— LeadingNFL ™ (@LeadingNFL) January 21, 2018
Wise’s absence from practice was a little less expected. The rookie defensive end also took a hard hit to the head during the game with the Jaguars. This is Wise’s second concussion since August according to the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe, putting his status for Super Bowl LII in jeopardy.
Limited Participation
Malcom Brown, Mike Gillislee, and LaAdrian Waddle were all limited in practice on Wednesday. Brown’s injury is listed on the Patriots injury report as a foot injury. The limitations on Gillislee and Waddle are consistent with their statuses throughout the postseason. Both Gillislee and Waddle are dealing with knee injuries.
Noticeably absent from the injury report is Alan Branch. The defensive tackle hasn’t taken the field in any of the Patriots last five contests. A meniscus tear has kept Branch as a limited participant throughout the postseason, but his absence from Wednesday’s report is a promising sign for the defensive playmaker.
Thursday, January 25
Did Not Participate
Brown, Gronkowski, and Wise did not practice on Thursday. Gronkowski and Wise were locks not to practice for the rest of the week, given the injuries they sustained. But Brown was downgraded and held out of practice entirely after being listed as a limited participant on Wednesday. This development does not bode well for Brown’s participation in Super Bowl LII but the defensive lineman has plenty of time to recover before the big game.
Limited Participation
Gillislee, Waddle, Tom Brady, and Devin McCourty practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday. Brady and McCourty had not appeared on Wednesday’s injury report, so their appearance on Thursday’s report may have come as a surprise to some. Both of these designations appear to be maintenance-related. Brady is still practicing with two gloves on, which indicates that the stitches on his right hand have not yet been removed. McCourty has been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury since the beginning of the postseason, but it has not had a significant impact on his performance. With the Super Bowl ten days away, it’s likely that the coaching staff wanted to reduce McCourty’s workload in order to have him at peak performance for February 4.
Friday, January 26
Did Not Participate
As expected, Gronkowski and Wise did not take the field for practice on Friday. It was doubtful that either would see any practice time this week due to the nature of their injuries, but ESPN’s Mike Reiss confirmed on Friday that Gronkowski has been at the facility almost every day this week. While both players would be ruled out if the Super Bowl were this coming Sunday, attitudes in Foxboro are hopeful that both players will have recovered by February 4.
Rob Gronkowski has been at Gillette Stadium each of the last 5 days, a positive sign in his recovery. A closer look at why the two-week timeframe is critical for his availability in Super Bowl LII. https://t.co/FxP3x2d9KC
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 26, 2018
Brown also did not participate in practice on Friday. If the Super Bowl were this week, Brown would be listed as questionable to play.
Limited Participation
Gillislee and Waddle remained as the only limited participants in Friday’s practice. It seems unlikely, given how this season has gone for Gillislee, that he will make the 46-man gameday roster regardless of how he practices next week. For now, he is designated as questionable.
Waddle carries the same designation after Friday’s practice. It’s important to note that Waddle was listed as questionable following Friday practice before the AFC Championship game, but failed to make it into the game. However, Waddle did not participate in all three practices leading up to the game against the Jaguars. He has been a participant in all three practices this week, giving some hope that the offensive lineman may return with another week to heal.
Full Participation
Brady and McCourty were both full participants in Friday’s practice, alleviating any concerns that the two players were dealing with significant injuries. Mike Reiss confirmed early on Friday that Brady showed up to practice still wearing two gloves, but the full participant designation is positive. The full participation of both players confirms that the limited practice on Thursday was a matter of maintenance.
Tom Brady arrives at Friday’s walkthrough (still wearing red gloves) but no sign of TE Rob Gronkowski. pic.twitter.com/ahlYyevnDM
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 26, 2018
