New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (ankle) is officially active for Thursday night's game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Gronkowski put in a limited practice Wednesday after he did not do on-field work Monday and Tuesday, which were essentially walkthrough sessions, for precautionary reasons.
"What I've been told all along here is they want to be cautious with him," NFL Network's Michael Girardi reported Thursday on Good Morning Football. "Obviously, he's a very important player. You're looking at a stretch now after Indianapolis in which they have 10 days off before they have to get ready for Kansas City."
Still, a-less-than-100-percent-healthy Gronkowski is better than not having him in the lineup at all, and the Patriots will have help around him against the Colts.
Wide receiver Julian Edelman returns from a four-game suspension and is expected to play, and wide receiver Josh Gordon, who made his debut in Week 4, is likely in line for increased snaps.
The presence of Edelman and Gordon should benefit Gronkowski, who has seen a lot of double teams through the first four games of the season.
