New England Patriots Rumors: Julian Edelman And Rob Gronkowski Could Be Back Before End Of Regular Season

The New England Patriots are rumored to be getting a huge boost before the end of the season with both Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski possibly ready to return to help the late-season push for the No. 1 overall seed.

Edelman was back on the practice field for the first time on Friday, which Pro Football Talk said could be leading to a return in the coming weeks.

The Patriots lost both of their best pass-catchers in succession this season, and in doing so their season took an abrupt turn. After starting 10-0, the Patriots struggled without their best offensive players not named Tom Brady, losing two consecutive games and with it losing their grip on the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC.

The outlook had been grim for Julian Edelman, who broke his foot in Week 10, with initial indications that he would likely be out until the first round of the playoffs.

Now, that time frame may be even shorter. Edelman returned to practice this week with Jeff Howe from the Boston Herald sharing a picture of him on the field. The New England Patriots had already given indications that he could be back, saving Edelman’s roster spot rather than putting him on injured reserve.

The week in photos — check out photos from player access, practice & press conferences: https://t.co/DZHonfyqIq pic.twitter.com/LDWIEDH3Ng

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 11, 2015

Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski both on the practice field for the Patriots. (via @MikeReiss) pic.twitter.com/5TcP4rwWjg

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 11, 2015

As ESPN noted, Julian Edelman’s return to practice “fuels optimism that he will be available at some point before the end of the 2015 season.”

“It’s always good to be out there with your teammates and staff and put the cleats on and run around,” Edelman said.

Edelman had been the team’s leading receiver this year, with 61 catches for 692 yards and seven touchdowns.

While the New England Patriots are rumored to get Julian Edelman back near the tail end of the regular season, Rob Gronkowski appears to be closer to returning. He was back on the practice field with Edelman this week, and officially listed as questionable against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

“I’m doing everything I can to get better every single day, and it feels good to be back with my teammates — just mentally and physically to be back with them out on the practice field,” Gronkowski said.

The New England Patriots have been a very different team without Gronkowski and Edelman. In their last game before the two-game losing streak began, the Buffalo Bills were able to get tremendous pressure on Tom Brady, as his release valve in the shifty Edelman was gone. The Bills were also able to shut down Gronkowski, committing extra defenders to him and knowing that Edelman would not be there to take advantage of single-coverage.

The two-game losing streak has added some urgency to the return of Edelman and Gronkowski. The New England Patriots are now tied with the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals at 10-2, and another loss or two would put the Patriots at risk of losing their first-round bye. When Gronkowski and Edelman do return they will very likely not be at 100 percent, so an extra week of rest could be critical if the Patriots want to defend their Super Bowl title.

The New England Patriots have not officially addressed rumors about when Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski will return, and with coach Bill Belichick’s tight-lipped nature it’s likely they will not give away any more than the league requires them to. But, if this week’s practice is any indication, Tom Brady could have both of his favorite targets back before the season ends.

[Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images]