New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman has returned to the team after passing his physical Monday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

Edelman had been on the non-football injury list after suffering a thumb injury in July, but he is now activated and ready to participate with the team. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN, he also took part in Monday's practice.

With Demaryius Thomas also practicing, per Reiss, the Patriots receiving corps is in much better shape than it was last week. Josh Gordon was also reinstated by the NFL after receiving an indefinite suspension, giving Tom Brady a lot of weapons on the outside.

Still, Edelman's return could be the most important considering his impact with the team.

The receiver finished last season with 74 catches and 850 yards with six touchdowns last year despite playing only 12 games following a suspension. His 70.8 yards per game were the second-most of his nine-year NFL career.

Of course, his biggest impact came in the playoffs when he averaged 129.3 yards per game. He was named Super Bowl MVP when he totaled 10 catches for 141 yards in the win over the Los Angeles Rams.

With Rob Gronkowski retiring, Edelman becomes the Patriots' most trustworthy option in the passing attack.

Although the 33-year-old has only played a full 16-game season twice in his career, he will hope the injury problems for 2019 are now behind him.