The veteran wideout is eligible to return to practice
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who remains on injured reserve with a knee ailment, is “day-to-day,” according to head coach Bill Belichick.
Edelman was placed on injured reserve Oct. 31. He also was placed on COVID-19/reserve Nov. 30 but was removed from that list Dec. 10 while the Patriots were in Los Angeles getting ready to play the Rams.
The Patriots will practice indoors Wednesday. It will mark the first time Edelman has been eligible to practice since his initial placement on the COVID-19 list
“When he’s ready, we’ll start him,” Belichick said. “If he’s not ready, then he’ll keep working and we’ll wait until he’s ready.”
Once Edelman begins practicing, the Patriots have a 21-day window to activate him from injured reserve. The 12-year veteran wideout has 21 catches for 315 yards in six games this season. Edelman set a career-high with 179 receiving yards on eight catches in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks but caught just eight passes for 79 yards in his next four games before being placed on IR.
Wide receivers Damiere Byrd, Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry have helped fill in for Edelman. The Patriots also have Gunner Olszewski and Donte Moncrief on their wide receiver depth chart and Devin Smith, Kristian Wilkerson and Isaiah Zuber on the practice squad.