FOXBORO -- Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was not on the field with his teammates for the start of their third and final practice of the week.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound All-Pro has been dealing with a hamstring issue since suffering the injury in a joint training camp practice with the Bears back on Aug. 15. In every Patriots practice of the regular season, Gronkowski has been listed as a limited participant due to the hamstring injury. He has yet to miss a regular-season practice this season.
Gronkowski appeared to be as healthy as he's been since the summer last weekend. In a 33-13 win over the Browns, he caught five passes for 109 yards, including a rumbling 34-yarder in the first quarter during which he broke multiple tackles.
The team will release an injury report later in the day on Friday, providing an update on his status for Sunday's game against the Bengals at Gillette Stadium.
Other Patriots missing from the practice were linebacker Jonathan Freeny (shoulder) and tight end Greg Scruggs (knee). Neither player practiced on Thursday.
The Patriots did see running back Brandon Bolden (knee) return to the practice field for the first time since he was injured in the fourth quarter of New England's Week 4 loss to the Bills.