FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had arthroscopic surgery Friday on the left ankle that hampered him in the Super Bowl, according to the Sports Business Journal.

The Patriots declined comment.

Gronkowski, who set an NFL single-season record for tight ends with 17 touchdown receptions, had just two catches for 26 yards in the 21-17 loss to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl in Indianapolis last Sunday. His recovery is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks and end before the Patriots begin organized team activities in the spring.

Messages left for Gronkowski’s representatives were not immediately returned.

The All-Pro tight end, a second-round draft pick in 2010 out of Arizona, suffered a high-ankle sprain in the AFC championship game against the Baltimore Ravens in Foxborough, a 23-20 victory.

THE PATRIOTS got exactly what they wanted when the Giants threw to Mario Manningham on New York’s last Super Bowl drive.

Then the receiver New England deemed less dangerous than Victor Cruz or Hakeem Nicks made a catch that will be replayed over and over for years to come.

“This is still a Cruz and Nicks game,” Patriots Coach Bill Belichick tells his defenders in audio captured for “Sound FX,” which first aired Wednesday night on NFL Network. “I know we’re right on them; it’s tight. But those are still the guys. Make them go to Manningham; make them go to (tight end Bear) Pascoe. Let’s make sure we get Cruz and Nicks.”

Manningham’s 38-yard reception — over-the-shoulder, between two defenders and along the sideline — was the key play on the Giants’ winning drive. New England challenged the catch, but as the video review is going on, a dejected Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is heard muttering, “He caught it.”

With New York in position to run down the clock and kick the winning field goal later in the drive, New England linebacker Jerod Mayo tells his fellow defenders in the huddle, “We’ve got to let ’em score.” Tackle Vince Wilfork then assures a teammate as the players are lining up, “Yeah, yeah, let ’em score.”

But on the sideline, Tom Brady laments, “They’re not going to score.”

He was wrong. Ahmad Bradshaw fell into the end zone after trying to stop himself, putting the Giants up 21-17 with 57 seconds left. With one timeout and needing a touchdown, Brady couldn’t lead the Patriots on a winning drive.

49ERS: GM Trent Baalke received a three-year contract extension through the 2016 season.

SEAHAWKS: Seattle and free-agent offensive lineman Breno Giacomini agreed to a two-year contract extension after Giacomini proved to be a valuable backup on Seattle’s offensive line.

TITANS: Tennessee agreed to terms with wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins, making him its third pending free agent kept off the market.

Hawkins is coming off his best season. A fourth-round pick in 2008 out of California, Hawkins played in 16 games with two starts, and he caught 47 passes for 470 yards with a touchdown.

The Titans had previously reached deals with tight end Craig Stevens and offensive tackle Mike Otto.