Gronkowski (ribs) didn't practice Wednesday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The tight end rode a stationary bike, with head coach Bruce Arians saying he wasn't sure when Gronkowski would return to practice. A report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network over the weekend suggested Gronkowski likely would miss Week 5 against Miami but not necessarily any time beyond that. Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard formed a timeshare in Gronkowski's absence during the 19-17 win over New England in Week 4.

Gronkowski (ribs) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Patriots and is expected to miss next week's game against the Dolphins, but the Buccaneers are optimistic he'll be ready to play in their Week 6 game Oct. 14 in Philadelphia, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though initial X-rays on Gronkowski's ribs returned negative coming out of Tampa Bay's Week 3 loss to the Rams, the star tight end was later diagnosed with cracked ribs and a punctured lung after undergoing an MRI and CT scan a few days later. The injury resulted in Gronkowski staying back in Tampa Bay when the Buccaneers traveled to New England earlier in the weekend, and the 32-year-old looks doubtful to return for the Week 5 home game versus the Dolphins. The Buccaneers face a quick turnaround in Week 6 with a Thursday night game in Philadelphia, but the team apparently has some early optimism that Gronkowski will be ready to go by then. In the meantime, Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard are expected to split the snaps at tight end over the next two contests.

Gronkowski, who has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Patriots, was diagnosed with multiple hairline fractures in his ribs after undergoing an MRI on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. He could miss multiple weeks as a result.

EDGE Analysis

Gronkowski appears to have made every possible effort to play in his first return to Foxborough since joining the Buccaneers in 2020, but follow-up MRI scans on the rib injury he suffered last week against the Rams essentially nixed any hope. Rib injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from, especially ones of this severity, and given the quality backups Tampa Bay has on hand in O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate on the roster, Tampa Bay may not be compelled to rush Gronkowski back. Expect the 32-year-old to be week-to-week moving forward with more information regarding his status arriving later next week.

Gronkowski (ribs) has been downgraded to out ahead of Sunday's marquee matchup against the Patriots, Jordan Schultz of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's a bit shocking Gronkowski will miss the marquee matchup against his former team, but Friday's doubtful designation seemed to be an ominous marker regarding the veteran tight end's status. O.J. Howard figures to take the majority of the vacated snaps given his prowess as a blocker, but don't be surprised if Cameron Brate also factors into the mix, especially in obvious pass-catching situations. While the injury might spoil one former Patriot's return, don't expect Gronkowski's injury to severely impact Tom Brady, especially with the rest of his dangerous trio of receivers all available for Sunday night's contest.

The Buccaneers have downgraded Gronkowski (ribs) to doubtful for Sunday night's game against the Patriots, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

It sounds like the rib injury is winning out over Gronkowski's desire to face his former team. An 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday is suboptimal for fantasy purposes, though the downgrade to doubtful solidifies that Gronk's managers need to make other plans for Week 4. The Bucs have two solid alternatives of their own, with Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard both offering plenty of experience in starting roles. Brate has played more than twice as many snaps as Howard this year, including 45 percent last week when he caught four of five targets for 35 yards in a 34-24 loss to the Rams. However, it won't be too much of a surprise if Howard ends up with a significant role Sunday night.

Coach Bruce Arians said Gronkowski (ribs) will be a game-time decision ahead of Sunday night's matchup with the Patriots, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Gronkowski is believed to have returned to practice Friday as a limited participant, likely setting up a 'questionable' designation on the Buccaneers' final injury report. He'll presumably lean toward playing if it's a close call, given that he and Tom Brady are facing their former team in one of the more highly anticipated regular-season games in recent memory. That said, the Bucs have Super Bowl aspirations and a deep group of tight ends, so they may limit Gronk's snaps if he in fact does end up playing. Backup tight end Cameron Brate has seen six targets on 35.8 percent of snaps through three games, while O.J. Howard (15.4 percent, two targets) has barely played this year. Anyone hoping to start Gronkowski should have a backup plan from the Bucs-Pats game Sunday night or Raiders-Chargers on Monday.

Gronkowski (ribs) was spotted and Friday's practice and is expected to be a limited participant, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 32-year-old sat out practice the past two days, but his return to the field Friday lines up with previous reports that he's expected to play Sunday at New England. Gronkowski appears to be trending in the right direction, though it remains to be seen whether he's able to avoid an injury designation for Sunday's contest,

Gronkowski (ribs) isn't present for Thursday's practice and will go down as a non-participant on the Buccaneers' injury report, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though all prior reports have suggested Gronkowski will play Sunday against the Patriots after X-rays on his injured ribs returned negative, he's now missed both of the Buccaneers' first two practices to begin the week. So long as he can back on the field in some fashion Friday, Gronkowski should still be a good bet to face off against his former team for the first time this weekend.

Gronkowski (ribs) isn't practicing Wednesday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

With X-rays on his ribs coming back negative Monday, the tight end is considered "highly likely to play" this weekend against New England, per Jordan Schultz of ESPN. Gronkowski's absence from practice Wednesday comes as no surprise, but there will be at least some level of concern if he can't make it back in some capacity Thursday or Friday. The Bucs have an 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff with the Patriots on Sunday.

Gronkowski (ribs) is considered "highly likely to play" in Sunday's game against the Patriots, Jordan Schultz of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Schultz's report essentially supports one from Adam Schefter of ESPN on Monday, which indicated that the star tight end would be on track to play Week 4 against his former team after X-rays on his ribs returned negative. Despite being in pain after taking a hit to his ribs in last weekend's loss to the Rams, Gronkowski still played 61 percent of the Bucs' offensive snaps and hauled in four of seven targets for 55 yards. The Buccaneers could limit Gronkowski's practice reps as a result of the injury, but so long as he returns to full activity by Friday, he'll likely head into the matchup with New England minus a designation.