Image by Getty Images

(JTA) — New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman responded to reports that he violated the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs with an apology.

Edelman is appealing the four-game suspension for the violation, which first was reported on Thursday by ESPN.

“I am very sorry — I don’t know what happened,” Edelman wrote on Instagram on Friday. “I’ve taken many, many tests obviously over the course of my career, and nothing like this has ever happened. I apologize to the Kraft family, my coaches, teammates and fans. As this matter is being appealed, I can’t say anymore but no matter what, I will be ready to play and pursue another championship with our team and for Patriots fans around the world.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Edelman will miss the Patriots’ first four regular-season games against the Houston Texans, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Detroit Lions and the Miami Dolphins. He would still be permitted to participate in training camp practices and preseason games.

Edelman, 32, missed all of last season after suffering a knee injury in the preseason. The Jewish Pro Bowler, one of quarterback Tom Brady’s favorite targets, is entering his 10th season.

He has caught as many as 105 passes in a season, played in three Super Bowls, starred in a series of comedic videos and written a children’s book. In April, he was credited with helping to stop a potential school shooting by a Michigan teen.

From Julian Edelman’s Instagram story. pic.twitter.com/VDCuqHf8r6

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) June 8, 2018

Contact Alyssa Fisher at [email protected] or on Twitter, @alyssalfisher

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount