The Patriots have lost Julian Edelman for the rest of the season.
WBZ in Boston reports that Edelman has a broken foot that will require surgery, and he is likely to be placed on injured reserve, which would end his season.
Edelman got hurt during Sunday’s win over the Dolphins, and he left the stadium on crutches and wearing a protective boot. The Patriots have offered no official updates on Edelman’s status, although the fact that they signed receiver Donte Stallworth strongly suggests that they don’t expect Edelman back any time soon.
For the Patriots, the loss will be significant both to their offense and to their special teams, where Edelman is having an excellent season returning punts and is also a solid player on kick coverage.
UPDATE 4:50 p.m. ET: The Patriots have confirmed that Edeleman was placed on injured reserve.