Report: NFL To Hear Julian Edelman's Appeal Of PED Suspension Monday
FOXBORO (CBS) – New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman's formal appeal of his four-game suspension will reportedly be heard by the NFL on Monday.
According to ESPN, sources say Edelman will "mount a vigorous defense that questions the NFL's handling of his case."
He is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance enhancing drug policy. Since the news broke back on June 7, the MMQB reported the positive test "was triggered by a substance that wasn't immediately recognizable."
ESPN is also reporting that "the NFL made mistakes in the manner in which the test results were handled" and that Edelman will argue that's one of the reasons he should be cleared.
In a brief statement earlier this month, Edelman said "I don't know what happened" with regard to the positive test.
The 32-year-old receiver is working himself back after suffering a torn ACL last August in a preseason game in Detroit. Edelman had been coming off a career-high 1,106 receiving yards in the 2016 season, a year that ended with Edelman making a miracle catch to help the Patriots win Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons.
The list of players who have won their appeals is short, but it is possible. Most notably, Richard Sherman — at the time a cornerback on the Seattle Seahawks — had his PED suspension overturned after it was revealed that the test collector improperly handled the sample.
