Julian Edelman and the New England Patriots ended their 2020 NFL campaign on a sour note. With Cam Newton as their starting quarterback, the 6-time Super Bowl winners could only manage a third-place finish in the AFC East above fellow strugglers, New York Jets.
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 10, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton (middle) looks on from the sidelines with head coach Bill Belichick (right) after being replaced in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
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In their first season in almost two decades without Tom Brady on their roster, the Patriots missed the playoffs and concluded their regular season with a 7-9 record. Veteran NFL wide receiver Julian Edelman also suffered a tough outing last year. He was dealing with a knee injury for which he also underwent surgery.
He featured in just 6 games last season, with 315 from 21 receptions. But latest reports indicate that Edelman could be set for a long spell on the sidelines this year.
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Julian Edelman a ‘major doubt’ for Patriots ahead of the 2021 NFL season
It was really tough reading @kguregian report about the state of Julian Edelman’s knees.
No matter what happens with Jules this upcoming season, I’ll always have the utmost love and respect for what he’s done for the Pats.pic.twitter.com/i1dv9xxrKF
— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) April 8, 2021
Boston Herald reporter Karen Guregian was one of the first to report that Julian Edelman could miss out on the upcoming season due to his ‘chronic’ knee struggles. Despite undergoing knee surgery last October, Edelman has reportedly not ‘full recovered’ from the injury.
The report further adds that his underlying injury might see him start one game and miss out on the next. One can’t help but wonder if this is the end of the journey for the 35-year old wideout.
Edelman has been an ever-present figure for the New England Patriots last decade. Since joining the Bill Belichick-coached franchise in 2009, Julian has won 3 Super Bowl titles with the Pats. He even won the Super Bowl LII MVP award playing alongside ‘best friend’ Tom Brady.
The former 7th round draft pick has 6,822 receiving yards and 36 receiving TDs in 85 NFL starts. He is set to receive $6.1 million compensation against the cap space next season. This means the Patriots will try and offload him this summer in order to free up an additional $3.5 million (they’ll have to make a $2.6 payment to Edelman if they release him before the season starts in September.
Coach Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft will think twice before making a final decision on Julian. Regardless of what the future holds, he’s been a loyal servant to his organization.
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