Gronkowski 'good to go' for Patriots

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will return to the lineup for Sunday's matchup at the New York Jets.

Gronkowski sat out the past two games due to back and ankle injuries, but last week's bye apparently sped up his recuperation.

"Good to go. Excited to be back out there on Sundays," Gronkowski told reporters Friday. "I'm excited to be back out there, and I'll be ready to roll."

Gronkowski had missed three games this season, including a 34-10 beating by the Tennessee Titans prior to New England's bye. Quarterback Tom Brady failed to throw a touchdown for the second time in three games without one of his top targets in the lineup.

The 6-foot-6, 268-pound Gronkowski has not scored since the season opener, when he had seven receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. He last played on Oct. 29 but had only three catches for 43 yards in a 25-6 win at Buffalo.

New England (7-3) had won six in a row before the crushing defeat at Tennessee, but still holds a two-game lead atop the AFC East.

Gronkowski also missed a Week 7 win over the Chicago Bears due to back issues, but said he's not concerned about any lingering effects going forward.

"I'm not worried. I feel good," Gronkowski said. "I'm just ready for Sunday."

Despite missing a pair of games, Gronkowski's 29 receptions are third on the Patriots. He has seven catches of at least 20 yards, including 39- and 42-yard receptions in the fourth quarter of a 43-40 win over Kansas City in Week 6.

Gronkowski has been a touchdown machine for most of his career since joining the Patriots as a second-round draft pick in 2010, hauling in 76 scoring passes in his first eight seasons, including at least 10 in five of his first six years.

The 29-year-old has surpassed 1,000 yards on four occasions and has 503 receptions for 7,627 yards in 109 career games.