NFL

Braylon back with the Jets, could play Monday

Even Braylon Edwards was stunned when his agent informed him Tuesday that it looked as if he would be a member of the Jets again.

Edwards practiced with the team for the first time yesterday since being claimed off waivers from Seattle. When the wide receiver spoke to reporters after, he admitted he thought that he forever closed the door on returning to the team by calling the Jets’ decision makers “idiots” last week on Twitter.

“After the tweet, it was like, ‘Yeah, I burned that bridge,’ ” Edwards said.

Guess again. He must have forgotten that anything is possible under the Jets’ big top.

So there he was yesterday wearing his familiar No. 17 in green and white, catching passes from quarterback Mark Sanchez and talking about playing this Monday in Tennessee despite a hamstring injury. Edwards spent 2009-10 with the Jets and then left as a free agent for two unproductive years with the 49ers and Seahawks.

Players in the locker room were shaking their heads, some finding it hard to believe Edwards was welcomed back after ripping the organization for its handling of Sanchez.

General manager Mike Tannenbaum, who was clearly the target of Edwards’ verbal jab, refused to comment on why he brought Edwards back. It is possible that this move was driven more by coach Rex Ryan, who has always been an outspoken fan of Edwards.

Yesterday, Ryan joked about Edwards’ comments.

“There’s a lot of comments that get fired at me,” Ryan said. “I’m OK with them. He knows what I’ve always thought about Braylon. I’ve always been a big fan of Braylon’s because I like the way he plays.”

Ryan said he and Tannenbaum joked that Edwards meant the other one was an idiot.

Edwards saw Tannenbaum on Wednesday when he arrived at the Jets headquarters. They ran into each other in the cafeteria.

“He was just as happy as me or so it seemed,” Edwards said. “The awkwardness wasn’t there.”

Now, the question becomes: Can he still play?

The Seahawks dumped the 29-year-old because they felt his injured hamstring would not be well enough for him to return during the regular season. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that they thought Edwards injury would sideline him for at least three weeks.

“I don’t think Pete has his M.D.,” Edwards joked. “The Jets had a different opinion.”

Edwards was limited in practice yesterday, but both he and Ryan sounded optimistic that Edwards could play Monday night against the Titans.

“I personally hope that I can go,” Edwards said. “Just based off how it’s progressing in my mind I think I’ll be able to go on Monday based on the progression I see. Once again, I don’t have my Ph.D.”

Even if Edwards can play, it is tough to gauge how much impact he can have.

“I think he still has some quickness, but he’s lost a little speed and with that a little separation when defenders hug up on him,” a league source said. “He still has the size and frame to compete for the ball but in terms of creating separation, I didn’t see the same levels he had in his previous Jets stint. He should be fine versus zones. However, he’s more of a possessional veteran wide receiver than an explosive guy at the position now.”

Edwards had just eight catches for 74 yards and one touchdown in 10 games for the Seahawks. He has not caught a pass since Oct. 14. Despite that, Sanchez believes Edwards can be a productive player for the Jets in the final three games.

“He’s an explosive player,” Sanchez said. “He’s a hell of player. We’ll figure out a way to use him, try to get him comfortable and, at the same time, worry about winning games.”