Julian Edelman Was Playing With Torn Rib Cartilage Since Week 3
BOSTON (CBS) -- We've learned over the last week that Julian Edelman dealt with shoulder, knee and rib injuries throughout the season. He'll have to undergo surgery for two of those, but it's the one that won't require a procedure that's been bugging Edelman the longest.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Edelman played the majority of the season with partially torn rib cartilage. He suffered the injury late in the first half of New England's Week 3 win over the New York Jets on Sept. 22 on this hit:
Edelman had to take a trip to the New England locker room just ahead of halftime, and tests revealed how severe the injury was. It would usually lead to some time off, especially for someone with the workload of a No. 1 receiver, but that was not the case with Edelman. He returned and finished New England's Week 3 win with a game-high seven receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown.
It didn't sideline him in the weeks that followed, either, as Edelman played in all 16 regular season games for New England. Despite the trio of injuries that hampered him throughout the 2019 campaign, the receiver set a career-high with 1,117 receiving yards to go with 100 receptions and six touchdowns.
Edelman will need offseason surgery on his shoulder and knee. His offseason got off to a bumpy start on Saturday night, as Edelman was arrested in Beverly Hills and cited for vandalism after he allegedly jumped on the hood of a Mercedes and damaged the vehicle.
