The procedure reportedly happened this morning, just hours after Patriots All-Pro tight end was seen court-side at the Boston Celtics-L.A. Lakers game at the Garden last night.

Gronk, you'll recall, sustained a high ankle sprain in the AFC Championship Game when Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard landed on his leg while bringing Gronkowski to the gound after a catch. The popular New England player became one of the most dominant players in the NFL in 2011, just his second season in the league.

Consequently, his status for Super Bowl XLVI was a topic of much debate and discussion. Although he wound up playing in the title game, he was clearly not at full strength, despite his declarations to the contrary immediately afterward. Gronkowski also rejected the notion that he would need to go under the knife, as had been speculated in the lead-up to the Super Bowl.

Now, it appears he has, and his recovery time is said to be in the neighborhood of 10 weeks, meaning he might be ready to take the field as early as late May, when the Patriots are in the midst of mini-camps and organized team activity (OTA) workouts.