Bucs head coach Bruce Arians made the curious decision to play Rob Gronkowski on Sunday, despite the tight end not being 100 percent. In Week 3, Gronkowski suffered several fractured ribs and a punctured/pinched lung. The All-Pro missed the next four games as a result, but practiced in a limited capacity leading up to Week 8.

However, Gronkowski lasted just six snaps before exiting with back spasms against the Saints. He didn’t look like himself before bowing out. When asked if Gronkowski’s re-injury was serious, Arians wasn’t sure.

“I have no idea with his back,” Arians said. “It just spasmed up. So we don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see on that one.”

There was some confusion whether Gronkowski’s back spasms were connected to his rib injury from a month ago. Arians clarified that it is, which represents some concern for Tampa Bay’s top tight end.

“Yeah, it’s all connected,” Arians said. “I don’t get all the medical jargon, or what joint here and there. But it is connected.”

Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs are typically very cautious with injuries, but rushing Gronkowski back before he was ready seem like a significant oversight. Arians basically admitted as much in Sunday’s post-presser comments, saying Gronkowski shouldn’t have been out there.

“Gronk probably shouldn’t have played either,” Arians said. “But he kept begging to get in there. Then he re-injured himself.”

Gronkowski finished the game with one target and no receptions. His replacements, Cam Brate and O.J. Howard, were minimally impactful in his absence. Howard caught two passes for 16 yards, and Brate caught two passes for 15 yards. Gronkowski remains at 16 catches for 184 yards and four touchdowns this season.

The Bucs will have their bye in Week 9. Their next game is in two weeks against the Washington Football Team on November 14. Hopefully Gronkowski can return by then, but back injuries can be nagging if that’s what this has turned into. This situation will be worth monitoring closely over the next two weeks.