Former Georgia WR Malcolm Mitchell expected to step up in Gronk’s absence
By Adam Spencer
Published:
When New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski went down with a season-ending back injury last weekend, it was assumed backup TE Martellus Bennett would pick up the slack.
However, Gronk’s production is too much for one person to replace, so the Pats will need others to step up in his absence as well.
One of those players is rookie fourth-round pick Malcolm Mitchell, a former Georgia wide receiver.
Fortunately for QB Tom Brady and company, Mitchell seems up for the challenge. Last week, he caught five passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns.
According to the Boston Herald, Mitchell is feeling more confident with the offense and his role in it as the season goes on:
“It’s just encouragement to go out there in practice and work harder and harder and harder so our team can be put in the best situations to win,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell suffered an arm injury in the preseason and got off to a slow start this year, but he said he’s in a rhythm now and expects to keep working hard and getting better:
“I think there’s a learning process, for sure,” Mitchell said. “How long that takes is different for each player. You’ve just got to grind it out.”
So far this season, Mitchell has 16 catches for 235 yards and three touchdowns.
The Patriots host the Los Angeles Rams at 1 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday. The game can be seen on FOX.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
