Patriots Say Rob Gronkowski is 100 Percent Healthy

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had ACL surgery on January 9. Today, the Patriots say he's been 100 percent cleared to play, which means he should be on the field on September 7, when New England opens its 2014 season against the Dolphins in Miami. South Beach should probably be put on notice now — Gronk is coming to party with you. Oh, and yeah, play football too. From ESPN:

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been cleared to play by doctors and will not be placed on the active/physically unable to perform list to open training camp, coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday.

The Pats open training camp on Thursday, which will be Gronk's first chance to prove that he is truly healthy and ready to rock. He missed seven games last year, but has already vowed to play a full 16-game slate this season. We're feeling optimistic about his chances, since he's already handled the offseason like his old self. Only Johnny Football can rival Gronk in the "offseason activities" department.

What does this mean for you? Slide Gronk up your fantasy football draft board. If we knew for sure that he'd be healthy all year — or even play, say 13 games — he'd be a no-brainer first-round pick in fantasy leagues. Even with some injury potential, he's still probably worth a second or third. And if you play in a fantasy get-hammered-and-bang-hot-chicks-while-scoring-touchdowns league, he's the No. 1 player in history.

[via ESPN]