The New England Patriots have it tough enough, starting the season with a first-time starter at quarterback (Jimmy Garoppolo) and a difficult first opponent (the Arizona Cardinals).

Now the Patriots might be without their best playmaker, too. That is if we believe the words of Rob Gronkowski, who was listed on this week’s injury list with a hamstring.

Are you 100 percent? Gronk: "I'm not." — Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) September 8, 2016





Ominous two words there if you’re a Patriots fan.

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But there is a slight caveat: Since when are Patriots employees transparent in terms of injuries? It has been a long-standing principle for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to swat away any and all questions about injuries over the years, no matter how harmless they might seem, and that approach typically carries over to his players, too.

Occasionally, a rookie or a player new to the Patriots will slip and mention an injury or its severity. But Gronk, who was elected a team captain on Wednesday, is one of the clubhouse vets by this point. Certainly he knows the coach’s preference on this type of discourse.

So perhaps could this be some chicanery by the team on the status of their leading receiver? Even that feels like a stretch. But we should be prepared for two outcomes: Either Gronk goes for four touchdowns in the opener or he might miss the first few games.

Anyone getting nervous yet about their season predictions?

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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