When will Edelman return to Pats? Belichick has an update

Share

Remember Julian Edelman?

The New England Patriots wide receiver hasn't played since Week 7 after going on injured reserve due to a knee injury that required surgery.

Edelman and rookie offensive lineman Justin Herron are both eligible to return from injured reserve this week after their three-week absences, however.

Patriots Talk Podcast: Who are the Patriots' top 7 building blocks? | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube

So, will Edelman return to face the Houston Texans on Sunday, or does he need more time? Head coach Bill Belichick offered a surprisingly detailed outline Wednesday of the team's plan for Edelman and Herron as it relates to the IR "clock," which gives teams 21 days to promote a player to their active roster after they've been activated from injured reserve.

"We’ll warm them up inside, see how they feel, put them through the part of their rehab and just see where they are, where we think they are, where they feel they are relative to starting the clock on them practicing," Belichick said. 

"Neither player has had a setback. They’ve both progressed in a positive direction. It’s just really a question of whether they're ready or not. Is that today, is it tomorrow, is it next week? I’m not sure what the timeframe is on that but I think they're all moving in the right direction."

Herron was present at Wednesday's practice, which means the three-week clock on his return has started. Edelman was absent, however, so he'll remain on IR for the time being.

It seems unlikely the Patriots would activate Edelman on Thursday and send him back on the field three days later, so fans may have to wait until Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals for his potential return.

In the meantime, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers -- who leads all NFL wide receivers with 41.2% of his team's passing targets since Week 9 -- should continue to fill Edelman's void as Cam Newton's No. 1 wide receiver.

Contact Us