New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman played most of the season with partially torn rib cartilage, league sources told ESPN.
Edelman suffered a rib injury in September against the New York Jets and went to the locker room before halftime of that Week 3 game, grabbing his right rib area.
Tests revealed the torn rib cartilage, an injury that would sideline many players, especially playing a position such as wide receiver. But Edelman managed the injury through practice and on Sundays, as tough as it was, not missing any time during the 2019 season.
Edelman struggled some with dropped passes, but despite the pain he played through, he remained a reliable target for Tom Brady and the Patriots, delivering one of the best seasons of his career.
Edelman, 33, finished with 100 receptions -- the fifth-highest total in the NFL -- for a career-best 1,117 yards and six touchdowns.
Edelman was arrested Saturday night and was cited for misdemeanor vandalism for allegedly jumping on the hood of a car in Beverly Hills, California, according to police.