Julian Edelman To Miss Three Weeks Of Patriots Training Camp Due To Thumb Injury
BOSTON (CBS) -- Coming off a Super Bowl MVP performance, Julian Edelman is going to need to wait a little longer to get his 2019 season underway.
A thumb injury will force the receiver to miss three weeks of training camp, a stretch that will last into the start of the preseason schedule, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also reported the news, describing the injury as "mild trauma."
Schefter reported that "it is uncertain whether Edelman suffered a break or sprain on his left thumb while catching a pass."
Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman, spotted at his youth camp over the weekend with a small brace over his left thumb (see below photo), is expected to be sidelined about three weeks due to the injury, league sources tell @FieldYates and me. pic.twitter.com/P5KT0hvRmz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 22, 2019
Edelman, 33, played 12 games in the regular season last year after serving a four-game PED suspension to start the year. He missed the entirety of the 2017 season due to a torn ACL, suffered in the preseason.
Despite the shortened season last year, Edelman had a career year for the Patriots, catching 74 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns. In three playoff games, he caught 26 passes for 388 yards, including 10 receptions for 141 yards in the team's Super Bowl LIII win over the Rams.
Veteran players are scheduled to report to camp on Wednesday of this week, with the first practice scheduled for Thursday. Edelman was not one of the six players on the PUP list for the start of camp.