Julian Edelman Suspended Four Games For Violating The Substance Abuse Policy

Trey Daubert/NFL/June 7, 2018

Talk about a shocker coming out of the New England Patriots! With the annoying media members trying to do anything to create drama with the Patriots, Julian Edelman of all people may have given the most newsworthy story of the year. The Patriots wide receiver will be suspended four games during the 2018 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Edelman will appeal the suspension as of now.

Adam Schefter of ESPN was the first to report the news:

Patriots WR Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substances policy, league sources tell @FieldYates and me. Suspension is under appeal.

More now on ESPN’s NFL Live.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 7, 2018

Edelman is really upsetting me for the sole purpose that he is on my fantasy team this year. Thanks, Julian! This is just me speculating here but I would guess that Edelman was taking something to enhance his performance coming off a torn ACL from 2017. Sometimes injuries are tough to rehab from and PED’s may have been something Edelman needed to recover faster. Edelman, 32, will fork over $470,588.20 in base salary if he were to miss four games. It just shows how vastly underpaid this guy has been for his career.

This isn’t to say that Edelman is guilty for sure either. Richard Sherman was the last guy to win an appeal back in 2012. If he does miss the first four games, expect a healthy dose of Chris Hogan leading the charge. The Patriots were banking on Edelman being productive this year after Danny Amendola left in free agency along with the trade of Brandin Cooks to the Rams. Edelman is under team control for one more season when he signed a two-year deal for $11 million back in 2017.

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Edelman has been progressing well with the injury and has been a full participant in practice. Edelman can still play in the preseason after the suspension but that seems unlikely after he injured his knee in the exhibition games a year ago.