Julian Edelman Expected To Miss Time After Undergoing Knee Surgery

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman will reportedly miss time after undergoing knee surgery on Thursday.

According to the Athletic's Jeff Howe, multiple sources confirmed Edelman was absent from Thursday's practice and had already underwent surgery, but is not expected to miss the remainder of the season.

"Edelman actually already had knee surgery today, according to two sources," Howe tweeted. "Not expected to end his season but he'll miss time."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Edelman "underwent a precautionary standard knee procedure" on Thursday and also said the wide receiver was expected to be out for "some period of time," which would include the Patriots' game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but didn't provide a specific timeframe.

Edelman has dealt with knee issues throughout the 2020 season and was limited in Wednesday's practice due to a knee ailment before being absent on Thursday. The 34-year-old currently leads all Patriots receivers with 21 receptions, 39 targets and 315 receiving yards, while also throwing two complete passes for 39 yards and rushing for 22 yards on two carries.

New England was already thin at wide receiver prior to news of Edelman's absence. N'Keal Harry was previously ruled out due to a concussion following a helmet-to-helmet hit during Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers.