Patriots ‘optimistic’ Gronk will be cleared for Minny

A day after their wild AFC Championship win over the Jaguars, the Patriots may have some good news on their biggest loss of the game: Rob Gronkowski.

The All-Pro tight end left the game in the second quarter after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit and entering the NFL’s concussion protocol, but the Patriots are “optimistic” he’ll be cleared in time for the Super Bowl, according to the Boston Herald.

Special teams captain Matthew Slater told reporters Monday afternoon that Gronkowski was “in pretty good spirits when I talked to him today.”

Quarterback Tom Brady said Monday morning in a WEEI radio interview that he didn’t see Gronkowski after the game, but sent him a text that they were “all thinking about him.”

“Gronk’s a very unique player,” Brady said. “Gronk has size, speed, catch radius. He’s so clutch and it hurts when he goes out, it absolutely does.”

The Patriots only had one tight end left on the active roster Sunday, Dwayne Allen, after Gronkowski was knocked out. Brady said it took away a lot of their personnel groupings and that they “didn’t even have a goalline group” for the second half.

Allen did not record a catch Sunday and has just 10 receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown this season. Rookie tight end Jacob Hollister was inactive against the Jaguars.

Gronkowski will have the benefit of extra time to recover before the Patriots square off against the Eagles in Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4.