Report: Julian Edelman dealing with broken thumb

Julian Edelman suffered a thumb injury recently that is expected to sideline him for several weeks, and the issue is one that probably sounds a lot worse than it actually is.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Edelman broke his thumb playing catch three weeks ago.

The injury that #Patriots WR Julian Edelman is recovering from is a broken thumb, sources say. He actually injured it playing catch three weeks ago, which is why he should miss just a few more weeks and be fine for the season. He just may not play in a preseason game, but .

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2019

Edelman may end up missing the entire preseason, but he’s fortunate he did not sustain the injury closer to Week 1. It sounds like it is going to take about 6-8 weeks to fully heal, which means he would have been in danger of missing regular season games if it happened more recently.

With Josh Gordon still suspended, the Patriots are expected to lean on the 33-year-old Edelman as heavily as ever this season. They’re also counting on the rapid development of rookie first-round pick N’Keal Harry, but Brady will be looking to Edelman often. Getting him fully healthy before Week 1 is a priority.