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The New England Patriots have been adamant that All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, coming off of the best season of any tight end in NFL history, will definitely be on the field in Indianapolis when they take on the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI next weekend. How effective Gronkowski will be, however, is very much up in the air right now. He suffered a fairly gruesome ankle injury in the third quarter of the AFC Championship game when he was tackled awkwardly by Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard and was held out of practice on Thursday. And now his father, Gordie, has revealed to WIVB — likely to the chagrin of the team — that Gronkowski has a high ankle sprain.

Although Gordie echoed the team’s insistence that Tom Brady’s favorite red zone target would be able to play through the pain of the injury in the biggest game of his life, Pats fans are certainly starting to worry about just how well he’ll be able to play. The term “high ankle sprain” is actually a bit of a misnomer, as it refers to an injury to the ligaments that connect the tibia and fibia in the lower leg, not the actual ankle itself. Because there is usually less swelling than in a common ankle sprain, the severity of the injury can be hard to diagnose, and so the Patriots likely aren’t sure yet about just how long and how badly Gronkowski will be hobbled. He was seen at the team facility on Thursday in a walking boot, and there is no timetable for when he might be able to get back on the field next week.