FOXBORO -- The Patriots may have to wait four games longer for the return of Julian Edelman.
The veteran wide receiver is facing a suspension for the first quarter of the season after testing positive for a PED. He is appealing the penalty.
Edelman, who tore his ACL last August in a preseason game at Detroit, will miss games against the Texans, Jaguars, Lions and Dolphins if the suspension is upheld.
When a player is suspended for PED's, the league does not identify what the offending substance was. Edelman has been a full participant in the Patriots' offseason work and OTAs.
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If the suspension is upheld, he would be allowed to participate in training camp and preseason games, but his suspension would begin in early September.
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While Edelman has often worked at TB12 sports therapy with Alex Guerrero, a source says that the 31-year-old has not been training there as frequently this offseason.
Despite that, Edelman's connections with Guerrero and TB12 will inevitably invite conversation, which will make things sticky for Guerrero and Brady.
"That would be so irresponsible," a source said when asked whether the suspension would blow back on Guerrero or TB12. "That would be [bull]. And responsible people wouldn't say that or report it, but that's kind of the way things are today. People will say whatever they want and there are no repercussions."
All in all, it's a bad deal at a bad time for Edelman as he works to re-establish his place in the Patriots offense after a year off.
(Disclosure, I wrote a book with Edelman which was released last October.)