Julian Edelman’s chronic knee trouble could be end of the road

Julian Edelman has played through numerous injuries during his career. He’s always carried on, with reckless abandon.

As Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has discovered in a short period of time about the toughness of Edelman: “That’s just Jules.”

Edelman has been fearless playing in the slot, catching passes over the middle, and taking all the abuse and punishment that comes with the job. He’s been everything you’d want out of a football player. And more.

For the Pats, there’s been no tougher receiver over the past decade. He’s been the ultimate warrior, clutch performer, and chain-mover. Between his toughness and competitiveness, he’s been one of the all-time great Patriots headlining the dynasty during its past three championships.

But at age 34, he just hasn’t been able to shake a nagging knee injury. His play and ability to get open has disintegrated this season.

While he had one glimmer of his past greatness, with a career day against the Seahawks (eight catches, 179 yards), he’s more often been a shell of himself.

He’s tallied just eight receptions for 79 yards and zero touchdowns over the last four games. And yet, Edelman leads the Pats with 21 receptions and 315 receiving yards.

While he underwent a surgical procedure Thursday to try and alleviate the issue, a source recently told the Herald the problem is chronic. He’s been trying to play through the difficulty, but surgery is a temporary fix for a knee that’s basically shot.

Maybe he’ll come back. He is a supreme battler, after all. There’s been no timetable given for a possible return.

At this point, though, it’s hard not to believe Edelman’s best days are behind him. Or worse, it could be the end of the line for the wide receiver. The 2020 season could be his last.

Former Patriots offensive lineman Damien Woody, reached Thursday, says it’s hard for an athlete to overcome age, along with Edelman’s litany of injuries over time.

“I know Tom Brady’s been fighting Father Time tooth and nail,” Woody said with a chuckle about the Patriots’ former quarterback, “but for most players, Father Time is undefeated. And as great as Julian Edelman has played … with his toughness, battling through injuries, all the hits, that’s catching up to him. It’s caught up to him basically.”

It ultimately catches up with everyone.

And whether Edelman returns or not, the Patriots will have to deal with his loss. Obviously, it’s not the most opportune time with the team fighting for its playoff life Sunday in Buffalo, but again, Edelman wasn’t providing his usual spark with his trademark difference-making plays.

With Edelman out for an unspecified amount of time, Newton will have Damiere Byrd, Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski as his primary wideouts. N’Keal Harry is dealing with a concussion, so he’s not guaranteed to play in Buffalo.

In the big picture, the Patriots’ receiving corps has been a trouble spot the past two seasons. Losing an Edelman that was hampered and a shell of himself shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for a group considered among the worst units in the league.

If Edelman was the Edelman of old, that’s a different story.

But what hurts most now is missing the attitude he always brought to the table. He’s a winner who has always had a never-say-die attitude and it’s hard to replace that kind of mentality, especially with a struggling team.

He typically backed his words up with his play, making extraordinary catches at the most critical times. It was only two seasons ago that he was named the MVP in Super Bowl LIII for his 10-catch, 141-yard performance against the Rams. Of course, everyone remembers the crazy catch he made between three defenders in Super Bowl LI during that unprecedented comeback against the Falcons.

Last season, playing with knee, rib, and shoulder injuries, Edelman still managed to play in all 16 games, posting at least 100 NFL receptions for a fifth time, and a career-high 1,117 yards.

The injuries took their toll toward the end of the year, but it was still a remarkable output. And classic Edelman.

“Listen, in my view, he took it to another level above Wes Welker,” said Woody. “Wes Welker to me revolutionized the slot position, but when you talk about Julian Edelman in New England, following Wes Welker, he’s been one of the most reliable players, in my opinion, in Patriots history.

“You could always depend on Julian Edelman to make that critical third down play, or critical catch. During the past decade, he’s the one thing you could always count on. That just speaks to his competitiveness and toughness. He’s one of the best players that I’ve ever seen with the Patriots.”

Even what became a diminished version of Edelman has made an immediate impression on Newton, the current Patriots quarterback.

“He is everything the Patriots represent: hard, tough, resilient, gritty … that’s Julian Edelman,” Newton said during his video conference Thursday.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/35Ti9HY