Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots was banned from four games by the NFL for taking performance-enhancing funds. This means that Tom Brady and Co. will probably have to do without their Wide Receiver at the start of the season.
So far it is not known for which means Edelman should have been tested positively, but ESPN reports that the 32-year-old has already filed an appeal against the ban.
For the New England Patriots, the absence of Edelman would be a bitter loss, as the wide receiver has been regarded for years as the most reliable passport receiver of quarterback Tom Brady. If Edelman’s appeal fails, he would miss the regular season matches against the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions and the Miami Dolphins.
Although the Patriots’ receiving corps is well and broadly positioned, Edelman was to compensate for the departure of Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks after his return. Last season, the Patriots’ star receiver missed the entire regular season after a cruciate ligament rupture in the preseason. The year before he was one of the guarantors for the victory in the Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons.