Julian Edelman is the New England Patriots’ No. 1 wide receiver. But in terms of playing time Sunday, he was No. 3.
Edelman was on the field for just 37 of the Patriots’ 64 offensive snaps in the team’s season-opening 21-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.
The 58 percent snap rate was Edelman’s lowest since Week 3 of last season, when he suffered an injury during a win over the New York Jets and did not play after halftime.
Apart from that, the last time Edelman played less than 60 percent of snaps in any game was Week 16 of the 2016 season, when he played 49 percent in a 41-3 rout of the Jets.