The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... ESPN's Adam Schefter reports this morning that barring a setback in practice this week, Gronkowski will play in Super Bowl XLVI. Schefter added that Gronkowski is expected to be limited at practice today.
Diehards Line:Although the part about practicing on a limited basis today is new, all indications have been pointing towards Gronkowski playing against the Giants on Sunday since he suffered the high-ankle sprain in the AFC Championship win against the Ravens. ... Gronkowski told reporters this morning that he'll have final say over his availability for the Super Bowl. “I definitely make the final call,” Gronkowski said. While the team's medical and coaching staffs will likely make the "final" call, it will certainly depend on whether Gronkowski can handle the pain. As Profootballtalk.com's Josh Alper suggested, Gronkowski isn’t going to be 100 percent which means the question will be how much his ankle can take without slowing him down to the point that he’s a detriment to the team. Our guess is Bill Belichick will ultimately decide that. But for now, we're still expecting Gronkowski to be on the field Sunday. ... Stay tuned.