The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... On the heels of news that Gronkowski will undergo back surgery, agent Drew Rosenhaus is downplaying the severity of the injury. Rosenhaus revealed that Gronkowski's herniated disk is a "lingering" problem that he played through all of last season. The injury is not to the same disk that Gronkowski had shaved in a 2009 microdiscectomy procedure, per Rosenhaus. "The recovery will be very comparable to the amount of time he'll miss with the arm surgery," Rosenhaus told Joe Rose of WQAM-AM. "It's not a serious back surgery. This is a new injury, and it's minor, it's not as significant. ... I don't think it's a big deal, I think it's more preventative maintenance than anything else. It's something that, although he needs it, he's had it for awhile and he's been able to function."

Diehards Line: As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling pointed out, it's noteworthy that Rosenhaus doesn't offer a specific timetable for Gronkowski's return to the Patriots, likely because recoveries from back surgery vary significantly compared to other procedures. The typical recovery time for a microdiscectomy, which Gronkowski is scheduled to undergo in mid-June, is 12 weeks, according to the Boston Globe. That estimate would keep Gronkowski sidelined until early September. The Boston Herald had previously reported concern that the All-Pro tight end wouldn't take the field again until late September. ... Stay tuned. More undoubtedly to come.