Report: Gronkowski not expected to play Sunday

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is not expected to play Sunday night, despite returning to practice Friday for the first time since he underwent surgery for a broken forearm in November.

NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk cited a league source on Friday night who said Gronkowski will probably not play against the San Francisco 49ers.

Gronkowski sustained the injury on Nov. 18 in the Patriots' 59-28 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. He has missed New England's past three games while recovering.

Before the injury, Gronkowski caught 53 passes for 748 yards and 10 touchdowns.