Patriots Confirm Season-Ending ACL Tear For Julian Edelman

FOXBOROUGH, MA — One of the goals of the preseason is to get through the four games with your starters in tact. The Patriots likely fell short of that goal Friday night.

The Patriots confirmed Saturday afternoon that Julian Edelman suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee. Edelman left Friday night's game at Detroit minutes into the first quarter. During the opening drive, Edelman went to make a sharp cut and went down on a non-contact play holding his knee. He walked off the field with a noticeable limp and did not return.

"Julian is a great competitor, works hard, tough, does all the things you ask him to do. I feel badly for him, of course," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Saturday afternoon in a media conference call. "We feel badly for Julian and hope that he’ll have a speedy recovery but the team will have to move on and compete this season with out him."

Reports of a possible ACL tear appeared late Friday night after the game. An MRI that took place Saturday confirmed that he suffered a complete ACL tear, according to multiple reports.

In an article for the Boston Sports Journal, Dr. Jessica Flynn of Lahey Hospital and Medical Center wrote that a complete ACL tear requires surgery and has a recovery timeline of 8-12 months. This would mean the end of Edelman's 2017 season.

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Edelman has been quarterback Tom Brady's favorite target since arriving in New England as a seventh-round draft pick, establishing himself as possibly the top slot receiver in the game. His toughness and skill on two high-profile catches in the last two Super Bowls were pivotal plays in what both turned out to be historic victories.

The last Patriots preseason game is Thursday night at home against the New York Giants.

Image Credit: Rick Osentoski/AP Images