New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman reportedly broke his foot Sunday against the New York Giants in a 27-26 win, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.
The Patriots star receiver reportedly has an injury to his fifth metatarsal, and is believed to be a Jones fracture, according to Garafolo. Edelman was injured on the final play of the first quarter. The Patriots improved to 9-0 on the season after beating the Giants, and can afford to be cautious with their star receiver as they have a four game lead in the AFC East.
Wide receiver Danny Amendola stepped up in Edelman's absence with 10 receptions for 79 yards. Amendola also had an 84-yard punt return, and would have had a touchdown if not for being tripped up by his own teammate.
The NFL's divisional playoff round is not until January 16-17, and it is reportedly a realistic timetable for when Edelman could return, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport. The Patriots face AFC East rival the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football next week, and will need Amendola and tight end Rob Gronkowski to continue to play well down the stretch of this season with Edelman out of commission.
The Patriots have already lost running back Dion Lewis for the season with a torn ACL, but head coach Bill Belichick is one of the greatest plug and play coaches in the league. The Patriots were able to mount a late game winning drive without Edelman, but looked like a different team without their top receiver on the field.
