FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has missed two of the past three games due to injuries, acknowledged that it has sometimes been difficult to watch himself on the field because he hasn't looked like himself at times.
"It's been more challenging, just little obstacles in the way. It's life. You have to take them on. That's what I'm doing," Gronkowski said Friday, as he remains limited in practice with back and ankle injuries. "Just got to get back to where I need to be and just be myself when I get back, and it will all be good."
He added that it is up to the coaches whether he plays Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. He is listed as questionable.
Gronkowski, who has 29 receptions for 448 yards and one touchdown this season, stressed that he is maintaining a positive approach and that he envisions things "going strong in the future."
"Just been dealing with some stuff, working the hardest I can every single day to get back to what I need to be back to," he said. "The team is doing great. We have great guys around here, great teammates.
"I can't wait, when I am back -- whenever it is -- to be back out there and give it all to my teammates, to the coaches. They've been great, and it's always great working with them. The most important thing is to be contributing to the team and being out there with the boys. So it's just working hard every single day, extra days, extra work, doing the best I can. Everything is going smooth, and we'll just see what happens from here."
The Patriots have a bye after Sunday's game in Tennessee, which could factor in to coach Bill Belichick's thinking on Gronkowski's status.
"It's up to the coaches. It's a coaches' decision," Gronkowski stressed. "If Coach thinks I can go, I can go."