The New England Patriots left Ford Field on Friday night not knowing whether they had just lost their most productive wide receiver for the season.
Julian Edelman went down with a non-contact right knee injury on the first drive of the Patriots’ 30-28 preseason victory over the Detroit Lions. He’s scheduled to undergo an MRI on Saturday, with the Patriots reportedly fearing the worst: a torn ACL.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Edelman’s teammate since 2009, reacted to the wideout’s injury in his postgame news conference.
“We’re all hoping for the best,” Brady told reporters. “It’s tough any time a teammate goes down. We’ve all been playing long enough where when someone does, other people have to step in and fill the void. Hopefully, that’s not the case, but we’ll figure out (Saturday).”
Edelman torched the Lions’ defense in the opening minutes Friday, catching three passes for 52 yards before leaving the game. The 31-year-old is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, having caught 98 passes for 1,106 yards and three touchdowns for a Patriots team that won Super Bowl LI.
“We’ve played together for a long time,” Brady told reporters. “I think there’s great chemistry in what we’re doing. He’s just an incredible player and teammate, and we’re all hoping for the best. Hopefully, whatever tests they have to do come back positively. We’ll try to do our best to kind of lift his spirits if we can and see what happens.”
Asked after the game for an update on Edelman’s condition, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick responded with a simple head shake.
Edelman signed a two-year, $11 million contract extension in March. Entering the summer, he was expected to headline a talented Patriots receiving corps that also features Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola and Malcolm Mitchell.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
