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Julian Edelman didn't earn the nickname The Squirrel without reason. The same can be said about Slottie Pippen or Minitron. The New England Patriots' go-to receiver is as tough as they come.
Edelman's 2019 campaign is a testament to his toughness that earned him the litter of nicknames. Throughout the year, the star 33-year-old has dealt with knee and shoulder injuries. According to Mike Giardi of NFL Network, his knee injury isn't too light. He's dealing with “some damage to the tendon in his left knee.”
Yet, that has failed to stop him in 2019. He hasn't missed a game and leads the Patriots in receiving. He has 92 receptions for 1,019 yards and six touchdowns throughout the year. For most, playing through that pain is a tough feat. For his teammate Tom Brady, that's just Slottie Pippen.
“He's a pretty tough guy,” Brady said on Thursday, via Giardi. “He wants to be out there competing and playing. I think everyone has a lot of respect for him for that. He's a tough guy.”
A slot receiver, Edelman has to approach the game with the same toughness he does to warrant consistently great results — which he does. He tends to see himself hit by linebackers and safeties instead of boundary cornerbacks. Despite so, he's acted as one of the NFL's most productive receivers over the past five years.
Brady and the Patriots need that tough Edelman for awhile. Their offense lacks feared pass-catching weapons outside of him. Saying he will have to play through that pain in a big way is not an understatement.
