Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is many things. One of the toughest covers in the entire NFL. Catcher of the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLIX. Folk hero. Most importantly, he is Tom Brady's go-to guy and security blanket receiving option.
However, Edelman has not seen the field since New England's week 10 game against the New York Giants, when he broke a bone in his foot. He returned to the practice fields on December 11, but has still not been declared active for a game. Now, almost nine weeks removed from the injury, Edelman is expected to make his return next Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In order to make it a successful one, Brady and Edelman have put in extra work this week, according to Mike Reiss:
The Patriots held two walkthrough practices during their playoff bye week, but that wasn’t the extent of the on-field work for some of their players. I’m told that quarterback Tom Brady and receiver Julian Edelman, in particular, spent some extra time together, and optimism remains high regarding Edelman’s availability and projected effectiveness for Saturday's divisional-round game. Prior to Edelman sustaining a broken bone in his left foot Nov. 15, he played 87.3 percent of the offensive snaps. It’s probably asking him too much to match that total in his return, but if he hits somewhere around 70 percent, that would still be a big boost.
New England has to hope that the extra time invested by the two veterans pays off next Saturday, when the Patriots enter the playoffs.