Since July, when Julian Edelman’s four-game suspension was upheld by the NFL, the date circled on calendars across New England was the Patriots’ Week 5 matchup with the Colts.
Edelman, who is also returning from an ACL tear that caused him to miss the entire 2017 season, is expected to make his 2018 debut on Thursday night. The expectations for the wide receiver – both for the Patriots as well as fantasy football players – have been slowly building.
This was amplified during the Patriots’ early season struggles on offense, especially on third down. A familiar refrain among both fans and media revolved around “getting Julian Edelman back.