FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots’ offense is going to be transformed for the playoffs thanks to Minitron.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski all but confirmed wide receiver Julian Edelman is returning from a broken foot for the playoffs. Edelman suffered the injury in Week 10 and has been practicing for nearly a month.
“Edelman is a great player, great guy,” Gronkowski said. “So excited to have him back. He brings so much to this offense. He’s just a hard worker, brings a great attitude with the team. Just his work ethic is second to none.”
Gronkowski definitely knows what he’s talking about. The Patriots average 6.9 yards per play when Edelman is on the field and just 4.7 yards per play when he’s on the sideline or inactive.
The Patriots earned a bye with the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs, so they can rest Edelman another week. The Patriots will play Saturday Jan. 15 at 4:35 p.m. ET against the highest-seed remaining in the AFC after the wild-card round of the playoffs .
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
