Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Patriots WR Julian Edelman won’t follow Tom Brady‘s strategy of taking his suspension case to federal court after an arbitrator recently upheld his four-game suspension for a PED violation.
Instead, a source tells Pelissero that Edelman decided not to sue the league and will instead focus his energy on football and preparing for Week 5 return.
Edelman’s appeal was denied a few weeks ago, despite reports that he tested positive for a substance that wasn’t recognized by the NFL’s drug testers. Beyond that, Edelman’s appeal also planned to call into question the NFL’s handling of his case.
However, it looks like the NFL’s case against Edelman ultimately held up and he’ll now sit out the first four games.
The Patriots will be without Edelman for games against the Texans, Jaguars, Lions and Dolphins.
Edelman, 32, is a former seventh-round pick of the Patriots back in 2009. He was in the final year of his four-year, $17 million contract when the Patriots signed him to a two-year extension worth $11 million and included $9 million guaranteed last year.
Edelman stands to make base salaries of $2 million over the next two years of the agreement.
In 2016, Edelman appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots and caught 98 passes for 1,106 yards receiving and three touchdowns. He also added 57 rushing yards, 44 kick return yards and 135 punt return yards for New England. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 21 receiver out of 115 qualifying players that season.
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