The New England Patriots' injury list now reaches all the way to the owner's suite.

Robert Kraft is recovering from back surgery and will miss Rob Gronkowski's induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon. The 85-year-old said the procedure has him "on injured reserve."

"As much pain as I was in before having surgery, it pains me even more to miss the ceremony," Kraft said Thursday.

Doctor's orders

Doctors told Kraft to stay off his feet. That means he will also miss Sunday's home game against the Green Bay Packers and the following week's trip to Munich to face the Detroit Lions.

Kraft broke the news to Gronkowski with a joke. The four-time All-Pro tight end had multiple back surgeries during his own career.

"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," Kraft said.

A weekend built around Gronk

Fans voted Gronkowski into the team Hall of Fame in April in his first year of eligibility. Because he works on Fox's Sunday pregame show, the Patriots coordinated with the network so he can attend Saturday's induction and be honored at halftime Sunday while still covering his broadcast duties.

"I just love Gronk. One of my greatest moments of love and affection for him was draft day, celebrating on the stage with his dad and brothers. It personified who he is," Kraft said. "He became a fan favorite almost immediately and remained the standard at tight end for nearly a decade."

Kraft also called Gronkowski's one-handed grab against Denver in 2014, which set up his 50th career touchdown, one of the best catches he has ever seen.

Gronkowski won three Super Bowls in nine seasons with New England. He finished his Patriots regular-season run with 521 catches for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns plus 12 more scores in the playoffs.

The Patriots are 5-3 despite a long injury list that has included A.J. Brown, TreVeyon Henderson and starting guards Mike Onwenu and Alijah Vera-Tucker.