No regrets for TJ Ward on Gronk hit last season

Photo from NESN

I'm sure most fans remember TJ Ward, the safety who ended Rob Gronkowski's season with a low hit to his knees last year. He signed with the Broncos during the off-season, which means the Patriots will have to deal with him again come Sunday. But does Ward regret it? No, according to the Boston Globe.

In his own words:

“I feel bad he got hurt, you know, but that’s about it,” Ward said. “I’m just playing fast out there, and coincidentally, it was a bang-bang play. I think if he wouldn’t have gotten hurt, then it wouldn’t be an issue.”

Ward added that he was also taught to go low on big guys like Gronk.

“Gronk’s a big dude,” said Ward. “He gets hit, and he keeps going. Guys bounce off him, and he’s throwing guys left and right.

“I was taught that if you can take a guy’s wheels away from him, he’s no longer mobile, and that’s what you’ve got to do with big guys.

“I’m not going to go in there and bang heads with somebody that’s 60 pounds more than me. I’m going to hurt myself.”

Ward gets the benefit of the doubt the first time around, but it'll bear watching when the Patriots play Denver on Sunday. If he goes low and seriously injures Gronk again, or any of the Patriots receivers, I'm sure most fans won't be so forgiving this time around.

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