New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 85, announced Thursday morning that he has undergone back surgery and will be unable to attend the team's next two games.
Kraft will miss Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers and the following week's matchup in Munich against the Detroit Lions. He also will be absent from Rob Gronkowski's induction ceremony into the Patriots Hall of Fame, scheduled for Saturday.
"As much pain as I was in before having surgery, it pains me even more to miss the ceremony," Kraft told ESPN. He added, "I always told Gronk that in my next life, I wanted to come back as him because I had never seen him have a bad day. But after a couple of back surgeries, I take that back. I never want to experience that again."
Gronkowski, a nine-season veteran and five-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, was elected to the Hall of Fame in April.
The Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony will still take place on Saturday, with Gronkowski's celebration during halftime of Sunday's game. Initially, Kraft had hoped to combine Gronkowski's induction with his broadcasting commitments for a Patriots game early in the season.