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Rob Gronkowski appears on Patriots report with ankle injury

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was limited at practice on Thursday. Barry Chin/Globe staff

FOXBOROUGH — Merely a tweak, or cause for concern?

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was limited at practice Thursday, popping up on the injury report with an ankle injury.

Gronkowski didn’t appear to get hurt last Sunday when New England lost to Jacksonville, 31-20. He was tracked around the field by two Jaguars on almost every play, limited to a paltry stat line: 2 catches on 4 targets and 15 yards receiving.

Gronkowski might have tweaked his ankle during practice this week, and though his status remains up in the air ahead of Sunday night’s contest at Detroit, it would be a surprise if he didn’t suit up and play. He participated fully in workouts on Wednesday.

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Still, any time the words Gronkowski and injury appear side by side, folks across New England get antsy. He hasn’t played the full 16 games since 2011, his second year in the league. He played only eight games in 2016, eventually succumbing to back surgery, which ended his season.

Gronkowski has accumulated 138 yards and one touchdown on nine catches this season. Yet he was stymied by Jacksonville, which bracketed him with a mix of linebackers and safeties for the duration.

The Patriots have become thin at receiver. It’s unlikely the newly acquired Josh Gordon will make a major impact in Detroit, having had less than a week to digest New England’s meaty playbook. Julian Edelman remains two weeks away from being reinstated following his PED suspension, and Chris Hogan hasn’t been effective as the temporary top dog.

This all makes Gronkowski’s presence vital, even considering the promising return Sunday of tight end Jacob Hollister from a hamstring injury.

Even when he’s not 100 percent, Gronkowski has been making an effort to resemble a sponge in the film room, a notable shift from his earlier years.

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“When I was a rookie back in the day, you’re just trying to get the plays down, you’re just trying to get open,” he said. “But now, there’s more to it. Once that part of the game slows down, once the plays slow down in your head, then you can start reading defenses, seeing what’s out there.”

Jones back in fold

Cyrus Jones is back in New England as if he’d never left.

“When I walked in,” said safety Devin McCourty, “I saw him in the cafeteria and just started smiling.”

A second-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2016, Jones missed the entirety of his sophomore campaign, placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in the preseason. The 24-year- old was released by New England at the end of this year’s training camp and joined the Baltimore Ravens practice squad Sept. 3.

On Wednesday evening, the Patriots announced they were welcoming the cornerback back into its fold.

The only downside for Jones? No more home-cooked meals.

“Got my mom’s cooking for a little bit so [I] couldn’t complain about that,” said the Baltimore native. “It’s good to be back.”

Jones spends most of his time as a slot corner, but was seen taking reps with the safeties at practice Thursday. Patrick Chung has yet to participate in drills this week after suffering a concussion in Jacksonville, meaning Jones could be thrown into the fire without much time to adjust.

“I got out there a little bit at safety just because we’re short right now,” he said. “I’m not really sure what the coaches want to do with that but whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to try to do it to the best of my ability.”

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Jones said it was “shocking” to receive a phone call Monday night that the Patriots were interested in securing his return.

“It’s been an interesting past couple of weeks,” he said. “To be back here this quick is mind-blowing. Well, when it happened it was mind-blowing. I’ve adjusted just fine.”

Punt returns are another area of concern for the Patriots given the state of their roster. Jones returned 11 punts for 46 yards in his rookie season.

The past month has taught Jones that above all, the NFL is a business.

“Would you expect to be back that quick?” he said. “I just took it in stride and was moving on with my future. I understand the NFL’s a business. You just have to be ready when your number is called — phone number, jersey number, whatever.”

Coleman signed again

The Patriots signed receiver Corey Coleman to the practice squad and released running back Kenneth Farrow. Coleman signed with the Patriots Sept. 12 and was released from the 53-man roster Monday . . . Joining Gronkowski as Thursday’s limited participants were tackle Marcus Cannon (calf), defensive backs Eric Rowe (groin), Nate Ebner (hip), and Keion Crossen (hamstring), and receiver Josh Gordon (hamstring). Chung and defensive end Trey Flowers, both of whom suffered concussions in Jacksonville on Sunday, did not participate . . . Thursday marked cornerback Jonathan Jones’s 25th birthday.

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Owen Pence can be reached at owen.pence@globe.com.