Rob Gronkowski Says He Doesn't Blame Barry Church for Hit That Caused Concussion

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said Thursday he didn't think there was any ill intent behind the helmet-to-helmet hit by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Barry Church in the AFC Championship Game.

"It's football. It is what it is," Gronkowski said, per Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams. "I mean, it's a split-second to make a decision. It's running full speed one way. I'm going the other way. It's just part of the game. It happens. Just got to move on."

The NFL fined Church $24,309 for the hit, and Gronkowski suffered a concussion that put his availability for Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles in doubt.

The five-time Pro Bowler confirmed Thursday he cleared the league's concussion protocol, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, so he'll be on the field when New England looks to win its sixth Super Bowl.

Immediately after the Patriots' 24-20 victory over the Jaguars in the AFC title game, Church denied he had intentionally tried to injure Gronkowski. Church also spoke of the Catch-22 NFL defenders often find themselves in, which Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman had addressed on Twitter:

Gronkowski himself admitted in the past he'd rather defenders target him high instead of going low and potentially injuring his knee.

"That's a pretty obvious answer," he said on WAAF's The Hill-Man Morning Show (h/t the Boston Herald's Jeff Howe) in April 2014. "Would I rather have a concussion and be out for three days or rather have a knee injury and be rehabbing for six months? I would rather have a concussion and be out for three days anytime."