A day after tweaking his foot in practice and violently spiking his helmet in frustration, Patriots WR Julian Edelman was back on the field wearing shorts and shells, catching passes and even leaving his feet cleanly.
The return confirms that Edelman's injury wasn't serious, which NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Media's Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday. The receiver underwent offseason surgery on his left foot.
That the Patriots were comfortable with Edelman returning a day after leaving practice early, especially in the rain, speaks volumes about his health. We needn't worry that Tuesday's injury will keep the team's top wideout off the field to start the season.
In 28 games over the past two seasons (including the playoffs), Edelman has averaged 7.0 catches for 75 yards and 0.43 TD on 10.3 targets per game. That works out to low-end WR1 numbers in PPR formats, so as long as he's healthy -- a serious caveat, obviously -- he should provide good value in the 4th round of fantasy drafts.