Report: Julian Edelman undergoes surgery, but could return for offseason program

Wide receiver Julian Edelman underwent a shoulder procedure last week.

New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman underwent a shoulder procedure last week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Edelman is expected to return in time for the Patriots’ offseason program.

Edelman was also expected to undergo a procedure to repair his knee this offseason, according to the Boston Herald. And finally, Edelman was playing with torn rib cartilage for most of the season, per ESPN.

Edelman was one of the team’s most consistent receivers in the 2019 season. Despite injuries, he played in all 16 games, catching 100 passes for 1,117 yards. His best performance statistically came in Week 6 against the New York Giants. He caught nine passes for 113 yards on 15 targets. Averaging 12.6 yards per reception, a 36-yard catch was his longest of the evening. New England defeated the Giants 35-14.

The 10-year veteran recorded three games of at least 100 yards in 2019. In addition to the game against the Giants, he also recorded a 100-yard game against Washington the week prior. He recorded nine catches for 110 yards and a touchdown in that game, as the Patriots beat the Redskins by a 33-7 score.

Edelman is set to make a base salary of $3.3 million this season. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022, and can also opt out after the 2020 season.

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6 takeaways from Patriots’ unpredictable 2019 season

Here are 6 major takeaways from New England’s 2019 season.

What a wild ride for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2019.

Coming off of a Super Bowl victory, the Patriots were equipped and prepared to make another run. After eight weeks of the season, people were ready to crown them as one of the greatest Patriots teams ever. By the time playoffs came, many claimed the end of a dynasty. New England was unpredictable from the beginning of the offseason and and that theme was glaring throughout the entire year.

Brady came out firing at the start of the season, but his production plummeted as the weeks flew by. The defense started off as one of the greatest units in NFL history, and turned into a pretty solid group.

However you interpret the season, you can’t deny that they finished 12-4 and entered the playoffs. This was a really good season — if you don’t look at it from the Patriots’ standards.

Let’s take a dive into seven takeaways from the season.

Tom Brady zings Julian Edelman with joke on Instagram

Tom Brady has JUST the thing for Julian Edelman after a rough weekend.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady targets receiver Julian Edelman with passes on the field — and with burns off the field.

Brady joked he had a hangover cure for Edelman, who allegedly jumped on and damaged a Mercedes in Beverly Hills this weekend. The Patriots quarterback is peddling his TB12 products, based around the TB12 Method, which helps athlete reach and sustain peak performance. This product was an electrolyte supplement, presumably for Edelman’s post-drinking dehydration after the eventful weekend when he got arrested for a misdemeanor vandalism charge. It’s unclear if Edelman, a 32-year-old California-native, will go to court over the charges.

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Report: Julian Edelman arrested for misdemeanor vandalism

Julian Edelman got in trouble with the law in Beverly Hills on Saturday night.

New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman was arrested on Saturday night for misdemeanor vandalism after allegedly jumping on the hood and damaging someone’s Mercedes, according to TMZ. ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed the report on Sunday morning.

This isn’t Edelman’s only run-in with the law. He was arranged on one count of indecent assault and battery in 2011 after being charged with groping a woman at a Halloween party at a Boston bar.

Edelman, 31, and the Patriots lost in the AFC wild-card round last week, and were therefore eliminated from the playoffs.

Here’s what TMZ reported about the story:

Julian Edelman named the Patriots’ Ed Block Courage Award winner

He follows Nate Ebner, Matthew Slater, Nate Solder, Jerod Mayo and Gronk, among others.

New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman will be the winner of the team’s Ed Block Courage Award in 2019. The Patriots give the annual award to a player who best exemplifies the principles of courage and sportsmanship while also serving as a source of inspiration.

Edelman finished fifth in the NFL with 100 receptions and set a career-high with 1,117 receiving yards. He also logged six touchdowns. His impressive season came while he was dealing with chest, shoulder and knee injuries.

In the Patriots’ lone playoff game this season, Edelman had three receptions for 30 yards and two rushes for 12 yards and a touchdown.

The Patriots’s most recent recepicents of the Ed Block Courage Award include Nate Ebner (2018), Matthew Slater (2017), Nate Solder (2016), Jerod Mayo (2015), Rob Gronkowski (2014), Sebastian Vollmer (2013), Logan Mankins (2012), Marcus Cannon (2011), Wes Welker (2010) and Tom Brady (2009).

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These stories about Tom Brady, Julian Edelman convey their insane work ethic

Former Patriots TE Clay Harbor had a short stint with the team, but he couldn’t overlook Brady and Edelman’s unmatched work ethic.

Tom Brady and Julian Edelman are not only highly decorated NFL players, but they’re students of the game.

Former New England Patriots tight end Clay Harbor had a short stint with the team, but the work ethic from Brady and Edelman stuck out to him in a major way. Harbor went to Twitter and shared individual stories about each player, and they’re everything you could expect.

His first story was about Brady’s note-taking after 16 years in the league.

He followed up with a quick story about Edelman’s work ethic.

There’s a reason why Brady has six Super Bowl rings and Edelman has three, and this is just one small example. Brady’s been in the league since 2000 and still treats the game like he has more to prove.

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Report: Offseason surgery ‘hasn’t been ruled out’ for Julian Edelman

Julian Edelman dealt with three major injuries in the 2019 season.

Julian Edelman once again proved his toughness.

The New England Patriots wide receiver hauled in 100 catches for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns in 2019. He was the Patriots’ only reliable wide receiver and he did it through crushing injuries. The injuries he dealt with were severe enough to sideline other NFL players, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.

Here’s the update from Howe:

Edelman dealt with an assortment of injuries, including a separated AC joint in his shoulder, a knee issue and rib injury that were described as serious enough that they would have ended some other players’ seasons. Offseason surgery hasn’t been ruled out. Despite beginning to accumulate those injuries in Week 3, Edelman had 100 catches for a career-high 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. He has a $7.2 million cap hit in 2020.

Edelman could be dealing with a long offseason of recovery if he does get surgery. He’s overcame an ACL surgery and was crowned the Super Bowl MVP, but it’ll be a tough feat to overcome these injuries when he’ll be 34 years old by next season.

He clearly slowed down toward the end of the season, catching only 13 passes in the final four games. Getting double-teamed also played a huge factor in his lack of production, but it was clear that Edelman was hurting.

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Looking at the Patriots’ biggest needs for the offseason

Here are the Patriots’ biggest needs heading into the 2020 season.

The New England Patriots are heading into unfamiliar territory with the 2020 offseason.

After the 2018 season, the Patriots were coming off of a Super Bowl win and Tom Brady’s future with the team was clear. After the 2019 season, the Patriots got bounced in the wild-card round and their 42-year-old quarterback is entering free agency. There’s a sense of uncertainty that’s lingered around New England and the reality of the team’s future will be determined soon.

So, how will the Patriots move forward?

Regardless of Brady’s future with the team, Bill Belichick will still put together a roster geared for a championship run. Some of the best players on team are entering free agency or simply getting older, so this time around will be a bit more tricky.

Here are biggest offseason needs.

Quarterback

Whether or not Brady returns, the Patriots have a dire need for their future quarterback. They could acquire a veteran, draft one, or they could experiment and see if Jarrett Stidham is ready to take over. If Brady does leave, it’s possible that New England brings in a proven veteran to compete with Stidham for the starting role, while continuing to mentor him.

A few veterans that would make sense for New England include Teddy Bridgewater, Jacoby Brissett, Nick Foles, Derek Carr or even Cam Newton. One of these players could help teach a younger quarterback, while keeping the Patriots competitive. This is all if Brady decides to take his talents elsewhere.

Brady shared a post saying that he still has more to prove, so it’s also very possible that the Patriots have him at the helm in 2020.

Julian Edelman thanks fans, vows to come back ‘focused and hungry’ in 2020

Patriots players and coaches have some downtime to reflect on 2019 and prepare for 2020. 

New England Patriots players and coaches have some downtime to reflect on 2019 and prepare for 2020.

Over the past eight seasons, the Patriots have been to the AFC Championship at minimum. That streak came to and end after they fell to the Tennessee Titans 20-13 in the wild-card round on Saturday. New England’s run defense took a beating and the offense failed to conjure up points when it was necessary.

Julian Edelman took this loss to heart and he won’t go out with it. The 33-year-old slot receiver went to Instagram after the game and vowed that the Patriots would come back focused and hungry in 2020.

Edelman dealt with injuries all season and still finished with 100 receptions, 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. He only caught three balls for 30 yards against Tennessee, but he had two rushed for 12 yards and a rushing touchdown. Edelman’s current contract runs through the 2021 season, so  he’ll remain with New England.

It’s still unknown whether or not Tom Brady will be alongside Edelman next season, but it’s promising to know that one key cog in this team will be around.

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Patriots vs. Titans: Time, TV schedule and how to stream online

How to watch Patriots vs. Titans

The New England Patriots (12-4) will host the Tennessee Titans (9-7) in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

This will be the first time since 2009 that the Patriots didn’t get a first-round bye heading into the playoffs. It will make a much more difficult path to the Super Bowl, especially with Tennessee as the first matchup. New England’s  defense has played excellent this season, but the offense has sputtered. Tom Brady doesn’t seem to have chemistry with a wide receiver not named Julian Edelman.

Tennessee is coming in as one of the hotter wild-card teams and its been lifted on the shoulders of Derrick Henry. The Titans’ running back rushed for 1,540 yards and an astounding 16 touchdowns. Ryan Tannehill is finding his groove in the system and Tennessee isn’t fearful heading into Gillette Stadium.

Here’s how to watch:

Game information:

New England Patriots vs Tennessee Titans

Saturday, Jan. 4, 8:15 p.m. ET

Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

Streaming:

Live stream: fuboTV (try it free).

Television channels:

CBS

WBZ-TV Channel 4

Broadcasters:

Jim Nantz  (play-by-play)

Tony Romo (play-by-play)

Tracy Wolfson (sideline)

Radio:

Westwood One

98.5 The Sports Hub

Weather:

45 degrees, 80 percent chance of showers

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