Pats’ Gronkowski ‘highly unlikely’ to play

Tom Brady might be without one of his favorite targets Sunday when the Patriots face the Bears at Soldier Field.

Four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski did not travel with the Patriots to Chicago because of a back injury, according to the Boston Globe.

Gronkowski, who was limited in practice this week with back and ankle injuries, has not been ruled out for the game but is “highly unlikely” to play, ESPN reported.

Patriots starting right tackle Marcus Cannon was ruled out Friday because of a concussion suffered last week against the Chiefs. LaAdrian Waddle likely will start in his place.

For the Bears, outside linebacker Khalil Mack, who suffered a sprained right ankle Sunday against the Dolphins, is listed as questionable. Mack, who has five sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception return for a touchdown, never has missed a game during his five NFL seasons. He had limited participation in practice Friday.

Two others Bears starters were listed as questionable. Receiver Allen Robinson is dealing with a groin issue that kept him out of practice Thursday, but he returned Friday. Slot cornerback Bryce Callahan, meanwhile, suffered an ankle injury Thursday and sat out Friday. If Callahan has to sit out Sunday, veteran Sherrick McManis likely would step into his role.

Fellow cornerback Marcus Cooper (hamstring) is doubtful.

Floyd fined: The Bears’ loss to the Dolphins on Sunday turned out to be an expensive one for Leonard Floyd.

The NFL fined the Bears outside linebacker a total of $30,080 for two violations: $10,026 for unnecessary roughness for lifting receiver Danny Amendola and spiking him onto the ground and $20,054 for hitting quarterback Brock Osweiler’s head with his forearm.

Regarding the Amendola tackle, Floyd said after the game: “I felt like he was trying to gain more yards and I had to stop him. The referees made their decision.”

To fully understand Sunday’s challenge, Long could ask his brother, Chris, to see his Patriots Super Bowl ring. He has the newest issue, the one with 283 diamonds, an homage to how they overcame a 28-3 second-half deficit to beat the Falcons 20 months ago.

Or there’s a more immediate way. “Put aside the championships,” Long said. “You can look at the film from last week, and it shows you who they are. My own lived experience is such that if you don’t bring your ‘A’ game, you can get embarrassed. You better prepare. Because you know they are.”

They starts with Belichick and Brady, of course, the most decorated coach-quarterback tandem ever. This will be the 260th game of their partnership. Nagy and Mitch Trubisky are tadpoles in comparison.

Belichick long has been a master at taking away what an offense does best and varying the alignments of his defense to cause confusion.

That, more than the Patriots’ clout, has the Bears’ attention this week. It’s not necessarily that teams shake in their cleats because they’re playing the vaunted Patriots. It’s that Belichick makes the Patriots damn good.

As a defensive strategist, he creates challenges that are as much mental as they are physical, said Bears receiver Allen Robinson, whose Jaguars lost to the Patriots in last season’s AFC championship game while Robinson was injured.

“The biggest thing is trying to slow you down, trying to make you think,” Robinson said. “Trying to take you out of your groove as far as playing. It is a challenge for us to be able to see everything, take on that mental challenge pre-snap and still be able to play our brand of football.”

That brand has been established as a diverse attack. The Bears, then, have a chance to legitimize the gains they have made offensively in the last two games.

To seize it, Trubisky is trusting how Nagy’s Chiefs moved the ball against the Patriots last year and how the Chiefs and their similar offense did it again Sunday in