Tue, 06/18/2013 - 11:41pm — Christopher Price

Dr. Robert Watkins, who operated on Rob Gronkowski‘s back Tuesday in Southern California, issued a statement regarding the procedure on Tuesday evening.

“New England Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski underwent a microscopic lumbar discectomy surgery performed by Dr. Robert Watkins at Marina Del Rey Hospital in Los Angeles. The surgery went well. The timing of his return to football will depend on his progression through the rehabilitation program.”

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 11:37pm — Anonymous
Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski

Dr. Robert Watkins, who operated on Rob Gronkowski‘s back Tuesday in Southern California, issued a statement regarding the procedure on Tuesday evening.

“New England Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski underwent a microscopic lumbar discectomy surgery performed by Dr. Robert Watkins at Marina Del Rey Hospital in Los Angeles. The surgery went well. The timing of his return to football will depend on his progression through the rehabilitation program.”

Watkins, who performed a different type of back surgery on the tight end when he was a collegian at Arizona in 2009, executed the same procedure on Giants’ defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul earlier this month.

For more Patriots news. check out weei.com/patriots.

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 6:34pm — Christopher Price

Rob Gronkowski underwent back surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday with Dr. Robert Watkins.

The tight end is still expected to be on the shelf for the next couple of months, and while he could be up and around by the time training camp rolls around, it’s still questionable as to whether or not he will be ready to start the 2013 regular season on time.

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 6:32pm — Anonymous

Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski underwent back surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday with Dr. Robert Watkins.

The tight end is still expected to be on the shelf for the next couple of months, and while he could be up and around by the time training camp rolls around, it’s still questionable as to whether or not he will be ready to start the 2013 regular season on time.

While several reports indicate this most recent back surgery is not connected to the back problem he had as a collegian — one that forced him to sit out a season while at Arizona — Tuesday’s surgery is the sixth one for the tight end in the last 17 months. He has had a procedure on an ankle injury in the days following Super Bowl XLVI, as well as four surgeries on a broken forearm and subsequent infection issue he suffered last season.

Gronkowski’s agent Drew Rosenhaus described the latest procedure as simply “preventative maintenance.”

“In Rob’s case, it’s not a serious back surgery, it’s unrelated to the original surgery that he had as a junior in college,” said Rosenahus. “That’s totally [fine] and recovered perfectly. This is a new injury and it’s minor. It’s not as significant.

“As I said, the recovery time will be consistent with the recovery time that he’s going to be out anyway, so I don’t think it’s a big deal. … Although he needs it, he had it for a while and he’s been able to function.”

For more on Gronkowski’s surgery, check out the video below:

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 6:04pm — Christopher Price

Aaron Hernandez was questioned by police on Monday in connection with a possible homicide in North Attleboro, according to a report from SI.com.

The Patriots’ tight end is reportedly not considered a suspect, but a vehicle rented in his name has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the investigation. Meanwhile, according to SI.com, a source said Hernandez’s name is tied to that rental vehicle.

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 6:02pm — Anonymous

Aaron Hernandez was questioned by police on Monday in connection with a possible homicide in North Attleboro, according to a report from SI.com.

The Patriots’ tight end is reportedly not considered a suspect, but a vehicle rented in his name has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the investigation. Meanwhile, according to SI.com, a source said Hernandez’s name is tied to that rental vehicle.

The Attleboro Sun Chronicle reported Tuesday that a jogger found the body of a 27-year-old Boston man on Monday in an North Attleboro clearing, less than a mile from Hernandez’s home.

The 23-year-old Hernandez, who has played three seasons with the Patriots, caught 51 passes for 483 yards and five touchdowns last season.

For more Patriots news, check out weei.com/patriots.

Tue, 06/18/2013 - 3:44pm — Anonymous
Tedy Bruschi

Tedy Bruschi

On Tuesday, the Patriots announced a new date and time for the team’s 2013 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for Tedy Bruschi and Gil Santos.

While originally scheduled for August 11 when the Hall of Fame selection was announced on May 21, the ceremonies will now be held on Monday, July 29, 2013 at 5 p.m. on the NRG Plaza outside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon. The event will coincide with the team’s first in-stadium practice of 2013, which is an annual ticketed event for Patriots season ticket holders and Foxborough residents at Gillette Stadium.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are free and open to the public. Patriots fans of all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. Following this year’s enshrinement ceremonies, Patriots season ticket holders and Foxborough residents will be encouraged to redeem their complimentary event tickets to attend that night’s practice inside Gillette Stadium.

Bruschi and Santos will also be honored at the Patriots’ regular season home opener when the Patriots host the Jets on Thursday, Sept. 12. With this season’s home opener falling on a Thursday night, a Hall of Fame weekend was not possible. As a result, the induction ceremonies were moved to the night of the annual season ticket holder event on July 29.

Mon, 06/17/2013 - 10:44pm — Jerry Spar

Former Patriots receiver Chad Johnson was released from a Florida jail Monday after serving seven days of his 30-day sentence. Johnson, as part of a court appearance requested by his lawyer to appeal his sentence, apologized to Judge Kathleen McHugh for jokingly patting his attorney on the rear end during his previous court date — an action that infuriated McHugh and led to her disregarding his plea deal for a probation violation.

Mon, 06/17/2013 - 10:43pm — Anonymous

Former Patriots receiver Chad Johnson was released from a Florida jail Monday after serving seven days of his 30-day sentence. Johnson, as part of a court appearance requested by his lawyer to appeal his sentence, apologized to Judge Kathleen McHugh for jokingly patting his attorney on the rear end during his previous court date — an action that infuriated McHugh and led to her disregarding his plea deal for a probation violation.

“I just wanted to apologize for disrespecting the court last time,” Johnson said. “I apologize. I did have time to reflect on the mistakes I made in this courtroom.”

After leaving court, Johnson told reporters that he respected McHugh for making him slow down and think about his life.

“No one has been able to do it, not even my parents,” he said. “I thank her. Everything she did was justified.”

Johnson was ordered to perform 25 hours of community service and attend domestic violence counseling sessions twice a week during his probation period, which was extended three months, through mid-October.

Mon, 06/17/2013 - 5:16pm — Christopher Price

The Patriots signed free agent running back George Winn on Monday.

The 5-foot-10 1/2, 218-pounder out of the University of Cincinnati was a signee of the Texans right after the draft, but was waived last month. The 22-year-old Winn had little success over the first three years of his collegiate career, but really busted out in 2012 as a senior with the Bearcats when he finished with 1,334 yards and 13 touchdowns on 243 carries.