FOXBOROUGH, MA - OCTOBER 04: Julian Edelman #11 of the New England Patriots looks on before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on October 4, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)Julian Edelman is one of the main holdovers from the Tom Brady era of the New England Patriots. It is unclear how much longer that will be the case though, due to “chronic” knee issues that derailed his 2020 season.
In the incredible Week 2 game between the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, Edelman had one of the best games of his career, catching eight passes for a career-high 179 yards. The Seahawks would win a classic, 35-30, but the Patriots looked like they would be very competitive with Cam Newton under center.
Things started going downhill a few weeks later. Edelman wound up making just six appearances, starting one game on the year. The 179 yards against the Seahawks were more than half of his full year’s output. He finished with 21 receptions for 315 yards, and did not find the end zone.
He had minor knee surgery after being shut down in late October. While he was eligible to return late in the season, Bill Belichick elected to hold him out. Now, it’s no guarantee that he’ll be good to go for 16 games in 2021.
“According to a source familiar with Edelman’s situation, it’s doubtful he will be able to play the entire 2021 season.”
Edelman’s knee still has not fully healed. https://t.co/UPfbvritS3
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) April 8, 2021
“According to a source familiar with Edelman’s situation, it’s doubtful he will be able to play the entire 2021 season,” Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald reports. “The knee has already hampered him for the better part of two years.
“While surgery can provide temporary relief, nothing can solve the underlying problem, the source said. That doesn’t mean Edelman won’t try to suit up, but if you’re the Patriots, how do you keep a soon to be 35-year-old receiver with a bad knee that will eventually sideline him again?”
The New England Patriots made some pretty big moves at the position this offseason, adding Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne to the receiving corps, as well as the tight end pair of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. They would certainly love to have a healthy Julian Edelman in the fold as well, but the outlook for him doesn’t sound great based on this report. Hopefully he can make some progress and put in a successful season with the Patriots as they look to bounce back from a disappointing 2020.
