New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick provided no clues to Rob Gronkowski’s availability for Sunday’s game at San Francisco amid conflicting reports about the tight end’s health.

“I don’t have anything to add,” Belichick said during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday.

The NFL Network reported Monday evening that Gronkowski suffered what it believed to be a punctured lung during the Patriots loss to Seattle on Sunday night. The report said he “could miss just one game.”

However, ESPN reported Tuesday that the injury is “not overly serious” and that Gronkowski does not have a punctured lung.

Gronkowski was injured in the second quarter of Sunday’s game while attempting to catch a pass over the deep middle of the field. Seahawks safety Earl Thomas flew in and hit Gronkowski, sending the tight end crashing to the turf. Right after the hit, Gronkowski was visibly shaken and the Patriots’ training staff took him off the field. Gronkowski missed five plays before returning for the end of the offensive series.

After the game, Gronkowski said he got the wind knocked out of him.

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“Yeah, that was a big hit for sure; probably one of the hardest I’ve got hit in my career for sure,” he said. “(It was) by a good player; a good fast player who’s like a missile. It was a good, clean hit; nothing against it. I just took it and it just knocked the wind out of me a little bit, that’s all. If you’ve ever gotten the wind knocked out of you, you know what that feels like. Just down for about a minute or two, it’s a little tough to breathe, but once it comes back, you’re good.”

Gronkowski stayed in the game and caught a 26-yard pass with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter. The reception set up the Patriots with a first-and-goal from the 2. New England failed to score as Tom Brady tried to connect with Gronkowski on the final play of the game, but the pass fell incomplete.

Gronkowski said he didn’t think Thomas’ hit was dirty.

“Yeah, it was a good, clean hit. I have no problem with it,” he said. “He hit me fair and square. It’s football. You’re going to get laid out eventually.”

If Gronkowski can’t play at San Francisco, the Patriots will rely heavily on Martellus Bennett. The tight end stepped up on Sunday, catching seven passes for 102 yards. Last week, the Patriots also added tight end Matt Lengel to the 53-man roster.


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