New England Patriots tight end (TE) Rob Gronkowski is still under concussion protocol indefinitely, following his injury in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The football superstar has since recovered and is back at practice, though his participation in practice is still limited. National Football League (NFL) Network's Tom Pelissero confirms Gronkowski remains under concussion protocol this week.

When asked about his injury, Gronkowski expects to be out of concussion protocol within the week, ready for the Super Bowl this Sunday, though he remarks that the decision does not lie with him, but with his doctors. When asked if he will be playing this Sunday, he has only one answer, "Yes."

The Patriots TE left their match with the Jaguars in the first half due to a concussion, and was unable to return for the rest of the game. Jaguars safety, Barry Church, had landed a powerful blow to Gronkowski's helmet. Church was flagged for unnecessary roughness and was fined $24,309 for the hit. The Patriots went on to win the championship 24–20 without Gronkowski for the second half.

The extent of Gronkowski's participation in the coming Super Bowl remains to be seen, as doctors decide in the coming days whether to lift the concussion protocol. Meanwhile, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is still struggling with a taped-up shoulder. Suspense increases as two star players of the Patriots are still recovering from injuries, and fans await another Eagles versus Patriots showdown at Super Bowl 52.

Gronkowski is a professional football player and tight end for the New England Patriots. His college football career was highlighted with many awards, also being named the "Freshman All-american" by Sporting News and Rivals.com. He joined the Patriots in the 2010 NFL Draft, and went on to set the single-season records for touchdowns and receives by a tight end, scoring 18 overall touchdowns and 1,327 receiving yards.