Julian Edelman played at least nine games in each of his first eight NFL seasons. This season, he’ll play zero.
The New England Patriots wide receiver currently is on injured reserve after tearing his ACL in a preseason game. He will not return to the field until 2018, robbing quarterback Tom Brady of his favorite target for the entirety of the 2017 campaign.
On Wednesday, Edelman made an appearance at Leventhal-Sidman Center at the JCC Greater Boston, where he read his children’s book, “Flying High,” to a group of kids and families. While there, he detailed how difficult the past few months have been for him.
“It just sucks not to be out there with them,” Edelman told reporters, via the Boston Herald. “But that’s part of the game.”
Edelman sported a bulky leg brace Wednesday, having recently undergone surgery to repair his knee.
The Patriots’ passing game has been very balanced in Edelman’s absence. Brandin Cooks, Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola and James White all have caught between 18 and 29 passes, with Cooks pacing the team with 379 receiving yards and Hogan leading the way with five receiving touchdowns.
“It’s been a crazy year,” Edelman told reporters. “It’s unfortunate the outcome of my season and having to deal with this. But our team is working hard. There’s a lot of guys playing awesome football. I look at our room, the receiver room, and see a lot of guys like Hoags and Dola and Cookie, those guys are out there, putting a smile on my face with how hard they’re playing and how well they’re playing.”
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
