FOXBOROUGH -- Affable tight end Rob Gronkowski can at times seem invincible, lugging around defensive backs as easily as he catches touchdown passes.

On Sunday though, that aura of invincibility was tainted after he left the field with less than four minutes left in the Patriots' 59-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Gronkowski broke his arm, NFL sources confirmed to the Globe's Shalise Manza Young. The sources were unsure of his timetable for recovery.

Gronkowski's forearm was X-rayed after the game. He had caught seven passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. With his second touchdown catch, he had become the first tight end in NFL history to record three straight seasons with at least 10 touchdown receptions.