Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski has bruised right knee, no tears

ByABC News
November 30, 2015, 3:26 PM

— -- An MRI confirmed that Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski has a bruised right knee but no tears, a source told ESPN's Dianna Russini on Monday.

He's considered week to week.

Gronkowski was carted off the field after injuring his right knee in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.

The Patriots immediately announced Gronkowski would not return to the game. ESPN footage showed Gronkowski walking from the X-ray room to the Patriots' locker room with a slight limp.

Monday morning on WEEI, Patriots QB  Tom Brady said he spent the morning digesting the loss to the Broncos and Gronkowski's injury.

"Tough game. This one hurts," Brady said. "I think the circumstances of the game, the circumstances of the situation that we were in -- having a good lead in the fourth quarter, then having a couple huge third downs that we made called back by penalty, then losing a player like Gronk in the fourth quarter, and then fighting back like we did to get it to overtime."

Gronkowski suffered the injury with 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, when Denver defensive back Darian Stewart hit him low on an incomplete pass. Gronkowski's leg whipped back as it made contact with Stewart.

He immediately writhed in pain on the ground before being tended to by the Patriots' medical staff and was eventually carted to the locker room.

"I hate to see it, but it really is the only way defenders can hit now," Brady said Sunday. "I bet if you asked the players, they would really rather go high than low. I don't think it's dirty. I just think that is how football is played now."