Receiver Julian Edelman’s four-game PED suspension was upheld on Tuesday, meaning quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots will be without the slot stalwart for the first month of the regular season.
Edelman, who is entering his 10th NFL season and is coming off an ACL tear suffered in the preseason last year, will miss games against Houston, Jacksonville, Detroit, and Miami. New England showed last year it can get along without the scrappy and skillful Edelman, but it would prefer not to.
Although there is not a wide receiver on the roster with the same skill set and value as Edelman, his absence allows others — especially newcomers Jeremy Hill, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Kenny Britt, as well as rookies Sony Michel and Braxton Berrios — to gain more game experience with their new team.