Rob Gronkowski is making a return to Gillette Stadium for Thursday night's game against the New York Giants… he just won't be in a Patriots uniform. FOX Sports divulged yesterday that Gronk is joining the studio team there to be a pro football analyst.

"I'm extremely excited to be joining FOX Sports," Gronkowski remarked in the official announcement by FOX. "For the past 25 years, they've offered viewers top-notch NFL programming from the field to the booth to the studio. Their deep talent roster is unmatched, which was important for me as I embark on this new chapter in my life because I'll be able to learn from the best in the business."

Elsewhere today, while most NFL observers are raving about New England's defense after five dominant performances, one Boston Globe columnist offers a word of warning about that group.

"Is it possible for them to really be this historically, epically, impossibly dominant all season, to stand helmet and shoulder pads above the most revered defenses in NFL history like the 1985 Bears and the 2000 Ravens when it's all said and done? As it is with scoring on these guys, it's hard to figure out," he writes, "because the Patriots' excellence and the offensive ineptitude of the opponents they've faced bleed right into each other."

Across town, the Boston Herald examines the Patriots' tight end position, which it deems "in flux" since the departure of Benjamin Watson. Another placekicker is getting a look from New England, according to media reports, as chronicled by WEEI.com.

Finally, The Athletic website offers a nice feature on CB Jonathan Jones, dubbed "the little bodybuilder" by teammates.