Julian Edelman was limited in practice on Wednesday and legitimate concerns about his ability to remain healthy this season are arising.
The New England Patriots don’t have a lot of proven weapons on offense, and thus they can ill afford to be down someone who figures to play a major role in the team’s success in Week 1 vs. the Miami Dolphins, let alone throughout the 2020 NFL season, and even more, someone of Edelman’s importance.
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Edelman’s Health Could Be an Ongoing Story This Season
At 34 years old, and with tons of football on his knees and legs, Edelman’s durability has become a concern. He played in all 16 games last season, but he was a bit compromised, especially toward the end of the 2019 season. As he has missed time in training camp and has now shown up on the team’s first injury report, the idea that he could miss significant time, or be playing hobbled throughout the year is something the Patriots have to consider.
This is why the players on the practice squad like Devin Ross, Isaiah Zuber, Mason Kinsey, and the exciting new acquisition Kristian Wilkerson could see some time if Edelman or one of the other Patriots wide receivers go down.
The Rest of the Patriots’ Injury Report
Edelman wasn’t the only player–or wide receiver–to show up on the Patriots’ first injury report of the season.
After missing his entire rookie season in 2019, the promising, but oft-injured offensive lineman did not practice on Wednesday which obviously creates doubt he’ll be active for Sunday’s season opener. Even if he is active, he’s not currently projected as a starter at any position, so he may not have gotten in any way.
The recently recalled Cassh Maluia also didn’t practice, which it’s unclear if this was due to an injury. Maluia was drafted in the fifth round in 2020, cut, cleared waivers, landed on the practice squad, and then added to the 53-man roster when Beau Allen went on injured reserve.
Gunner Olszewski had an impressive training camp earning a spot on the 53-man roster, but he battled injuries himself toward the latter part of the practices. He has been limited or absent from practices regularly over the past week or so. His availability will be something to keep an eye on for the rest of the week.
Promising edge player Chase Winovich is being counted upon to make a noticeable leap in 2020 after getting off to a strong start in 2019. He was limited on Wednesday, but expectations are that he’ll be ready to go on Sunday.
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Julian Edelman’s Injured Knee: Update on His Status for Week 1