FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is officially questionable for Sunday's home opener against the Miami Dolphins, and several followers on Twitter have asked my thoughts on if he'll play.

Based on what I saw in a limited peek at practice this week, my feeling is that it wouldn't be a surprise if Gronkowski remains sidelined. He is still limited. For example, when players went through a gauntlet in which teammates whacked them with pads in an attempt to jar the ball free, Gronkowski only played the role of the "whacker" and never ran through.

Earlier in the week, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter was asked about Gronkowski on SportsCenter, and I also thought comments from former Patriots assistant to the coaching staff Michael Lombardi on sports radio WEEI on Friday were also interesting.

"I've been around Bill since going back to 1991, and this has always been Bill's philosophy: If a player is injured, you're better off playing the backup than you are playing the starter," Lombardi said on the "Kirk and Callahan Show."

"If he's hurt, if he can't function and play to a level. ... Gronk's a great player, and if he can't play through the entire game, then you're better off playing the backup. That's part of the team culture you're in."