The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... The Boston Herald reported Sunday that a "stubborn" infection in Gronkowski's broken left forearm might keep the tight end out of action for the beginning of the regular season. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport cautioned, however, that an additional surgery is not set in stone, and Gronkowski's camp still is considering all options. Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed as much to WSVN-TV in Miami on Sunday night. Rosenhaus emphasized that any speculation about Gronkowski missing regular-season action is "way off," and no determinations have been made on a fourth procedure.
Diehards Line:"I'm not sure what's going to happen," Rosenhaus said. "There's no surgery scheduled, and we're not sure he's going to need one. ..." That also jibes with a report by USA Today's Mike Garafolo. ... As rpeviously noted, Gronkowski is near the end of a six-week cycle of antibiotic treatments to clear up the infection, so it won't be long before a decision is required on another surgery to remove the plate in his forearm. So even if this setback means Gronkowski will miss offseason practices for a second consecutive year, NFL.com's Chris Wesseling correctly notes it seems premature to begin hand-wringing over his regular-season status.