Julian Edelman won’t discuss the hit he absorbed from Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1.
In an interview with the New York Times to promote CoachUp, a private coaching service, Ken Belson pushed the receiver about the hit he took at the Patriots’ 49-yard line after he made a 21-yard catch with about 10 minutes remaining.
Edelman said he doesn’t “have an opinion” on whether Chancellor should have been fined for the hit. He then cited team policy when asked if he suffered a concussion the play.
“Due to our team policy, I can’t discuss that,” he said.
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Belson then pointed out that Edelman struggled to stand up and stumbled while trying to regain his ground after the play ended.
“Does that mean you were not injured?” Belson asked.
“Next question,” Edelman responded.
Here is a look at the hit:
The day after the Patriots’ 28-24, come-from-behind victory, The Associated Press reported Edelman had passed concussion testing, clearing him for the rest of the fourth quarter.
“I’m a coach and I had a deal with our trainers and doctors. They’re the medical experts and they don’t call plays, and I’m the coach and I don’t get involved in the medical part,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the day after the Super Bowl. “When they clear players to play, then if we want to play them, we play them. The plays we call, I don’t have to get approval from them. It’s a good setup.”
Edelman caught another 21-yard pass on the same drive, which resulted in a touchdown, and also caught the go-ahead scoring pass on the Patriots’ next possession. He finished with nine catches for 109 yards.