Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been suspended for Week 14, the NFL announced. Gronkowski hit Bills cornerback TreDavious White after he intercepted a pass and fell down on his return. The tight end was, surprisingly, not ejected from the game, but he will pay the price for it nonetheless. Gronkowski plans to appeal, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears. 
The Patriots will be without Gronk when they take on the Dolphins on Monday night. He will be eligible to return for Week 15 when the Pats travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers.
In his letter to Gronkowski, NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan wrote the following:
“Your actions were not incidental, could have been avoided and placed the opposing player at risk of serious injury. The Competition Committee has clearly expressed its goal of ‘eliminating flagrant hits that have no place in our game.’ Those hits include the play you were involved in yesterday.”
There’s never a good time to lose a top weapon like Gronkowski, but the Patriots are in no real danger of missing the playoffs. At 10-2, they hold a virtually insurmountable lead over Buffalo for the AFC East crown. According to the playoff odds at Football Outsiders, the Patriots have a 99.97% chance of reaching the postseason.
However, the ban will hurt Gronkowski’s wallet. Not only will he miss out on $281K in lost salary, but the missed game may also impact his incentives package. The tight end’s contract includes three different tiers of incentives and he may wind up having to settle for the lowest one rather than the second-ranked tier that he was previously on target for. If that’s the case, then the ban may effectively cost him about $2.3MM.
Dwayne Allen and Jacob Hollister currently stand as the Patriots’ only tight ends on the active roster. Former Giants standout Will Tye is on the practice squad, so he could be in line for a one-week promotion.
Mandatory 1 game and if White misses any games after that gronk should miss them too. Any injuries caused like that the player that caused it should miss as long as the person that is hurt.
Actually kind of like that. Clever way to make it fair.
Too easy to be manipulated, especially by somebody like Wild Bill Belicheck. He’d have anybody within reach of a star flop and pretend to have a season ending injuring ensuring that star sits out as well.
While I think you mean well that’s obviously an overshoot. They have how many cameras on the field these days?
Not enough actually. I don’t understand why we don’t have cameras on the goal line at this point, there’s a couple nearby, but I want to see a conclusive, straight down the line view to determine what’s in and what’s not 100%.
Weak slap on the wrist for a shot that cheap. Guess the Bills will have to look at their next matchup for payback.
Weak slap on the wrist? That’s standard punishment for plays like this.. I.e. Mike Evans
He feels shame.
The appeals panel should try to curb any retaliation, and learn from last years Crabtree/Talib by saying to him, you are still being suspended one game, but for your safety, and your teammates, it will be week 16 against Buffalo.
Can’t believe he would even appeal. What he did was was INSANE! He gave the guy a concussion and he will most likely miss a game and it could’ve been worse. There is no excuse for intentionally causing harm on someone when they did nothing at all that deserved that. You suspend guys GAMES for smoking pot but someone intentionally hurts a helpless player and he gets one game. This makes sense to anyone?? Ridiculous!!
Him appealing is insane. They should give him two games on appeal.
Saw a great comment about Pats fans regarding this…
“Don’t you guys ever get tired of defending bad things?”
Couldn’t agree more. What he did was insane and him appealing is insane. Really pisses me off he he would even appeal. This guy deserves more than one game and I’d give him more just for appealing. He got off easy.
Do you think if he played for another team he would had gotten more.How do these fluff officials not get held accountable for no ejection?Remember Ndamuku Suh stomping a player on the head very similar,what did he get?
A raise…
“Very Similar”? Not similar at all
It was a stupid thing to do. But had the refs done their job and called the obvious PI this wouldn’t have been an issue.
They rarely call offensive pass Interference anyway. Why now? Plus how would that have stopped it. Spear the red instead?
I love the vigilante justice rhetoric from all the Patriot haters.
What Gronkowski did was wrong and he should have been and was punished.
But all this talk on this and a bunch of other forums about taking his knees out and injuring him for life or breaking Brady’s arm in the next Buffalo/NE game is way over the top. It reminds me of old West cowboy justice. Do you people even hear yourselves?
People justifying why Gronk did are just as ignorant as Gronk is for doing it. Blows my mind! If he got the call he wouldn’t have done it? Do every time someone doesn’t get a call they have the right to go hurt the player who’s interfering with them on the play? Get out of here and get your head checked, stand in line with Gronk as a matter of fact.
Stupid af for him to appeal it Bc it could only mean he misses the pitt game and if the pats lose that game they lose home field. Don’t risk your teams chances that hit deserved a suspension.
He wont miss the pitt game, appeal is already in the process and should hear back on it no later than thursday is what there saying.
Im a Patriots fan, and i believe what Gronk did was way out of line! Absolutely no reason for that hit. You are looked up to by young people and yet you pull something so stupid. Take the one game suspension, lose out on the possible $2.3mm payout and get rested for the big game against Pittsburgh.
While I’m not defending Gronk’s actions, I understand why he did it. One game suspension is appropriate.