Week 7 Injury Updates: Rob Gronkowski, Vernon Davis, Martellus Bennett, Greg Olsen

Tom Brady may finally have his favorite tight end back on the field in Week 7. Here are some of the other key injury situations at the position.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots at New York Jets
Could it be? Is our national nightmare finally over? And no, I’m not talking about the federal government shutdown. Gronkowski has finally (and I emphasize FINALLY) been medically cleared to return to the field by his doctors. Gronk is listed as Questionable, but with Danny Amendola (concussion) already ruled out and Julian Edelman (thigh) officially Questionable, surely Tom Brady can convince his big target to be out there, right? With all of the media attention this soap opera has generated, I would be very surprised if No. 87 doesn’t make an appearance at MetLife Stadium this afternoon. If you have held on to Gronk for this long, you may as well start him and see what happens.

Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers at Tennessee Titans
Davis is still listed here for two reasons. One, it’s to report that his hamstring injury is pretty much a non-issue at this point, as he is Probable for this afternoon’s game against Tennessee. Second, it’s to acknowledge his performance over the past two games. He has 11 catches for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the past two weeks. In case you didn’t have a calculator handy, that’s 24.4 yards per reception. Davis has vaulted himself into the top five at his position, so just sit back and enjoy this ride as long as it lasts.

Martellus Bennett, TE, Chicago Bears at Washington Redskins
Bennett has been playing through a knee injury for a while, so I wouldn’t let his Questionable designation this week worry you too much. He’s been a top-10 fantasy TE for his new team and caught six passes for 68 yards last week against the Giants. If you have him, I see no reason why you shouldn’t start Bennett against the Redskins, who have allowed four TD catches to opposing TEs.

Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers vs. St. Louis Rams
Olsen’s foot injury didn’t keep him from playing last week, but it should be noted that he had his worst game of the season. Olsen caught just two passes for 19 yards against the Vikings in a game that Cam Newton tossed a season-best three touchdowns. Olsen practiced fully on Friday and is Probable, so it appears that his foot injury may just about be a thing in the past. Olsen still is a top-15 fantasy TE, so if you own him, you roll him out against the Rams and hope for better results this week.