Patriots WR Julian Edelman Tears ACL, Out For Season

An MRI today has confirmed what the Patriots were fearing. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB.com (via Twitter), wideout Julian Edelman has “a complete ACL tear in his right knee.” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the receiver will miss the entire season.

The Patriots confirmed the tear, and Tom Curran of CSNNE.com tweets the team will place the ninth-year wide receiver on IR.

Edelman suffered the non-contact injury during the first quarter of last night’s preseason game against the Lions. The veteran was carted off the field after having already collected three catches for 52 yards. The 31-year-old has suffered a number of injuries during his career, as he’s missed nine regular season games since becoming a full-time starter in 2013. However, he’s yet to miss an entire season.

The receiver’s presumed absence from the offense shouldn’t be underestimated. Over the past four seasons, Edelman has averaged 133 targets, 89 receptions, 956 yards, and five touchdowns per year. He was a major part of the Super Bowl-winning squad last season, hauling in 98 catches for a career-high 1,106 yards. He was also a force in the postseason, collecting another 21 catches for 342 yards and one touchdown during the Patriots’ three-game run. Following the season, the Patriots inked the former seventh-round pick to a two-year, $11MM extension.

While losing Edelman will certainly hurt, the Patriots have plenty of depth to make up for his absence. The team acquired Brandin Cooks earlier this offseason, adding another 1,000-yard receiver to their talented corps. Chris Hogan, who finished last season with 680 yards and four scores, will presumably slide up to the Patriots’ second receiver spot. The team could also lean on veteran Danny Amendola or 2016 fourth-rounder Malcolm Mitchell to pick up some of Edelman’s targets.

Of course, the team is also expecting full health from tight end Rob Gronkowski, and they acquired Dwayne Allen to serve as a backup. There’s also running backs James White and Dion Lewis, who have proved to be dependable targets. If any vicarious roster move were to come out of the Edelman injury, it may be the addition of undrafted rookie wideout Austin Carr to the active squad. The Northwestern product has led the Patriots with 11 receptions for 105 yards this preseason, but the Patriots’ receiver depth put the rookie on the roster bubble.