New England Patriots players are conditioned to not say too much about the status of a particular body part or injury. All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski certainly knows the drill, as he kept things short and sweet when reporters asked him for a status update on his surgically repaired left ankle.
"Great!" Gronkowski said during a golf event Monday to benefit the Joe Andruzzi Foundation, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston.
Gronkowski, who signed a six-year, $54 million contract extension earlier this month, was unable participate in the team's OTAs or minicamp. According to Reiss, Gronkowski declined to say whether or not he'd be ready for the start of training camp.
Gronkowski was less shy when discussing his new contract.
"I'm just happy. Both sides are really happy," the 23-year-old tight end said. "I love all my fans out there. It's a great community, a great team. It's awesome going out there every single Sunday in front of that crowd. I'm happy to be here long-term, definitely. It all worked out well."
In addition to the anterior cruciate ligament in Logan Mankins' left knee, Gronkowski's ankle is the biggest injury concern the team has to monitor before training camp. That he's able to hit the links in June is a good sign that he'll be able to run over opposing defenders in September.
