Patriots’ Julian Edelman Has Knee Injury

The Patriots will be without Julian Edelman for at least a little while. After undergoing a procedure for his nagging knee injury, the wide receiver will be out for Sunday’s crucial game against the Bills, at minimum (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 

Last year, Edelman tallied 100 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. Even in his age-34 season, he remains a key player in the Patriots’ offense. Through six games, Edelman has 21 catches for 315 yards — less than his usual pace, though his 15.0 yards per grab represents a career watermark. Edelman opened the year with a solid showing against the Dolphins, followed by an eight-catch, 179-yard performance against the Seahawks. Since then, he’s been limited, but the hope is that the minor surgery will help him get back to his old form.

The timing is less-than-ideal for the Patriots, who have dropped three straight games and fallen to 2-4 on the year. After their 33-6 defeat at the hands of the Niners, they badly need a W against the division-leading Bills.

The Patriots have Edelman under contract through 2021 thanks to the two-year, $15.5MM add-on he signed last year. This year, he counts for roughly $9.7MM against the cap. In ’21, the Pats have him on a more affordable $6.7MM cap figure.

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