Dr. Flynn: Taking a look at health of Patriots and Colts as they head into Thursday's clash

Some injury notes to keep in mind on a short week.

When Julian Edelman returns to the field in Foxborough this week, he won't be close to 100 percent. Edelman had surgery to reconstruct his ACL 12 months ago. In training camp, he talked about how he didn't feel quite up to speed and didn’t have his “football legs” under him yet.


I got a chance to watch Edelman on the final day of open practices this summer. He was not back to the Edelman we’re used to seeing, and was visibly frustrated with his performance.

Rob Ninkovich said on NBC Sports Boston this week he’s been working out with Edelman over the past four weeks. Ninkovich knows a thing or two about how Edelman usually looks -- he indicated fans should lower their expectations for how much the wide receiver will be used his first week back.

This is clearly not a matter of effort on Edelman’s part. He’s 12 months out from surgery — most athletes are not back to 100 percent until 18 months or so. Age is just a number but, when it comes to ACL recovery, both age and player position can impact recovery time.

I expect to see Edelman gradually worked back into the mix over the next few weeks. Pay attention to his footwork and burst, two of the most important factors that are critical in how he plays the game. Having Tom Brady’s most comfortable receiver back will be great for the team, no question. However, it’s going to take time for him to get his newly-reconstructed football leg under him and rekindle that in-game chemistry with the quarterback.