Patriots owner misses Gronkowski ceremony after back surgery
Robert Kraft is recovering from a procedure and will also skip the Green Bay game and the trip to Germany.
By Michael Bennett ·
Patriots owner Robert Kraft is recovering from back surgery and will not attend the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Rob Gronkowski. The event is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, at 1 p.m. in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Doctors advised the 85-year-old owner to remain off his feet during his recovery period.
The Patriots announced that Kraft will also sit out Sunday’s home game against the Green Bay Packers. He will additionally miss the team’s away game against the Detroit Lions, which is set for November 15 in Germany. Kraft told Gronkowski about the surgery by phone before the news was made public.
Gronkowski, who is 37, said he appreciated the direct communication from the owner. “RKK, this just shows what type of guy he is,” Gronkowski said. “He called me yesterday to let me know before the news even came out. He was so sad.”
Kraft expressed his disappointment at missing the event. “As much pain as I was in before having surgery, it pains me even more to miss the ceremony,” Kraft said. The owner has described Gronkowski as a personal favorite, citing the tight end’s one-handed catch against the Denver Broncos in 2014 as one of the best plays he has witnessed.
Gronkowski played nine seasons with the Patriots from 2010 to 2018. He was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. During his tenure, he won three Super Bowls and ranks first in franchise history with 80 total touchdowns. He earned five Pro Bowl selections in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017. He also received four Associated Press First-Team All-Pro honors in 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2017.
While Kraft misses the football events, his son Josh attended a groundbreaking ceremony at Brandeis University. The event marked the start of renovations for the Robert Kraft Center for Jewish Life and Leadership. Kraft donated $10 million to fund the project. Josh Kraft stated that his father is expected to attend the future ribbon-cutting.
Brandeis University President Athur Levine said Kraft called him from a hospital bed the day before the ceremony. “Yesterday Mr. Kraft called me from his hospital bed. I reminded him we’ll have another cause to celebrate, after this building is opened, and we get to do amazing things here,” Levine said. Kraft previously told ESPN that he wanted to be reborn as Gronkowski, but he retracted that comment after observing the tight end undergo three back surgeries.
