MRI reveals no tear in Gronk's knee: When start tight end Rob Gronkowski was carted to the locker room in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's game against the Broncos, Patriots fans collectively held their breath as they saw another key offensive weapon suffer an injury that, at the time, looked potentially season-ending.
Thankfully for the Patriots and their fans, a Monday MRI revealed that Gronkowski suffered no tears in his knee. However, the tight end will be week-to-week with a "minor knee strain," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The 26-year-old tight end was enjoying another great season as Tom Brady's go-to target in the Patriots' passing game. Through 11 games, he hauled in 57 receptions for 931 yards and nine touchdowns and is graded as the top tight end in all of football according to Pro Football Focus.
Gronkowski is not expected to play this Sunday when the Patriots host the Eagles.
Roethlisberger says he is concussion free: While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh Tuesday, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger confirmed that he has successfully finished concussion protocol and expects to play next Sunday against the Colts.
The 33-year-old suffered what was initially thought to be a concussion when he was hit by Seahawks lineman, Michael Bennett. After the hit, he required a teammate to help him to his feet.
Roethlisberger stayed in the game to finish the drive, but took himself out after his vision began to blur.
"I have played through many injuries, but the brain is not an injury you want to play with," Roethlisberger said Tuesday, via ESPN. "When you're done, you want to be a husband or father. And if I have these brain injuries, it's not worth it."
The NFL and the NFLPA are investigating why the spotting system, which was implemented this season to help prevent concussions, failed to recognize Roethlisberger's potential concussion before he self-reported it to his coaches.
Under the new spotting system protocol, players who are believed to have suffered head trauma must be pulled from the game and evaluated on the sidelines by a trainer.
Jerry Jones believes Romo has "4-5 years" of good football left: The Cowboys have a lot of confidence in Tony Romo's ability moving forward.
Monday, head coach Jason Garrett expressed his belief that the 35-year-old has a lot of football left in him. Tuesday, general manager Jerry Jones elaborated on Garrett's thoughts while appearing on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.
"This is not a damn debate, guys," Jones said, via ESPN. "This is not a debate we're having here. Do you know that I don't know if he's got four or five years? You asked me my opinion and I can give you all the reasons why: the back, or I can give you clavicle, or I can give you any other type of injuries that are there.
"But you're asking me what I think, and I think we've got outstanding quarterbacking ahead of us for the next four or five years. That's not a downer. Will we be looking to develop and get talent behind Romo? Absolutely."
The quote came after Jones became frustrated following questions about Romo's health and age. On Thanksgiving against the Panthers, Romo suffered another clavicle injury which would later be revealed as season-ending.
Romo is signed through 2019, which would spell at least four more years in his Cowboys tenure. But Romo has a history of being injured and it won't get easier as he gets older.
Jones later backed up his statement by saying that Romo is not a typical 35-year-old quarterback because he was a late bloomer.
"I think if you look at his playing time, if you look at the years he has actually played, he started late," Jones said, via ESPN. "He really has excellent skill relative to where his skill set began, what his skill set is. He's got the relative skills. More important to anything, from a mental standpoint, and from the things that also mean so much at quarterback, he's at the top of the list. So I think four to five years."
Father time has caught up with the likes of 39-year-old Peyton Manning, who leads the league in interceptions. But players like Tom Brady, who looks better than ever at age 38, give Jones' sentiments a little more merit.
However, for Romo to play another four to five years, he'll need to keep his already battered body healthy.
