Rob Gronkowski, a palooka with a new mean streak, somehow avoided an ejection after he crushed Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White well after the play was over. (White had to leave the game and be evaluated for a concussion.)
After the game, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott mentioned the incident to New England counterpart Bill Belichick, who apologized and said the play was “bullshit.”
At his locker room, Gronk apologized to White and also said in various ways that he was frustrated by not being the beneficiary of any calls against the defense. An unedited quote: “I don’t really believe in the type of shots like that, but just due to frustration process, game of football, emotions, just, just...that’s what happened.”
The NFL hasn’t yet determined any punishment for Gronk, but a one-game suspension would seem reasonable, especially since White was injured because of the tight end’s unnecessary roughness. He has a pretty short history of punishments: As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted, Gronk was fined for fighting with Seahawks players at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, and for shoving Colts safety Sergio Brown out of bounds and into a cart in 2016.
Update (3:25 p.m. ET): Gronk’s been suspended for one game. He’s going to appeal.