Could Patriots face fine over handling of Rob Gronkowski injury?

Is the NFL asking the New England Patriots questions about the handling of information -- or lack thereof -- related to the broken arm of tight end Rob Gronkowski? The answer to that is certainly yes.

Will the NFL fine the Patriots? That answer is much less certain.

Gronkowski was injured in the final minutes of the Patriots' blowout victory against Indianapolis. The team did not make an announcement when Gronkowski left the field clearly because of an injury.

My highly educated guess is that the Patriots are being asked by league officials about exactly what happened.

But there may not be a fine because the injury happened so late in the game and by the time the team made the diagnosis the game was over. Also, several news outlets, including CBSSports.com, reported Gronkowski had broken his arm, so the information reached the public anyway.

The Associated Press wrote of the NFL's media policy: "Team personnel are responsible for
reporting in-game injury information factually and accurately as soon as possible for the benefit of the network television audience and the other media covering our games."

Also: "Clubs must ensure that all medical information issued to the media is credible, responsible, and specific in terms that are meaningful to teams, media, and fans." The policy adds says that "the injury reporting policy relates directly to the integrity of the game."

Translation: the league doesn't want teams hiding injury diagnoses because they want the game as transparent as possible, mainly to avoid any dirtbag gambler influence.

The Patriots are known for their -- ahem -- aversion to discuss injuries. The Washington Redskins were fined $20,000 this season for inaccurately describing a concussion to quarterback Robert Griffin III.

The timing of Gronkowski's injury may save the Patriots from a similar fine.