Julian Edelman's representatives argued Monday that mistakes made in testing and other processes led to the New England Patriots wide receiver's four-game suspension under the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.
The arguments were made during an often contentious suspension appeal hearing in front of arbitrator Glenn Wong, Pelissero reported. A decision on Edelman's appeal isn't expected imminently, Pelissero added, and there's a chance it could come next week. A federal lawsuit remains an option for Edelman if the suspension isn't vacated.
After the impending four-game suspension was reported during Patriots minicamp earlier this month, the veteran wide receiver apologized for what happened, adding he didn't know how he failed the test.
"I am very sorry -- I don't know what happened," Edelman wrote on Instagram. "I've taken many, many tests obviously over the course of my career, and nothing like this has ever happened."
Edelman missed the entire 2017 season after suffering a torn ACL during a preseason tilt. He took part in the Patriots' offseason program and was on the field during mandatory minicamp.
Regardless of the appeal outcome, Edelman remains eligible to take part in training camp and play in all Patriots preseason games.
