Rob Gronkowski exited the AFC Championship Game in the first half with a concussion. Gronkowski took a helmet-to-helmet shot from Barry Church, which was ruled a personal foul.

“I just tried to dislodge the ball,” Church said. “He’s a big dude, and I was just trying to dislodge the ball. But I guess they felt it was too high of a hit. I hope he’s healthy. I know he didn’t come back, so I hope he is all right. It was a tough call, but you have to go with what they call. It’s the toughest play in football. If you go low for the knees, you are considered a dirty player. And if you go high, they throw the flag at you. It’s a bang-bang play, and I was just trying to play football. I tried to lead with my shoulder.”

The Patriots are optimistic Gronkowski will be cleared to play in the Super Bowl, according to a source.

“(Offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) did such a great job of figuring out what we needed to do and how we needed to get it done, and he made it happen,” quarterback Tom Brady said of the adjustments post-Gronkowski. “It’s hard when you lose such a critical part of your team and offense. Hopefully, he’s OK. It’s a tough shot he took. He’s as tough as they come. Hopefully, he feels better soon.”