The New England Patriots will now be without two of their top receivers for the foreseeable future. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the defending champs will place second-year pass catcher Malcolm Mitchell on injured reserve.
Source: The #Patriots are placing WR Malcolm Mitchell on Injured Reserve.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2017
This comes on the heels of the team losing Julian Edelman to a torn ACL he suffered during the exhibition slate.
It also comes after New England traded backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts for former first-round pick, wide receiver Phillip Dorsett (more on that here).
Mitchell, a fourth-round pick of the Patriots back in 2016, recorded 32 receptions for 401 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. He also caught a stellar 67 percent of the balls thrown in his direction.
The Georgia product had been dealing with a knee injury this summer. The move does enable him to return after eight weeks, meaning Edelman is officially out for the season.
The trades for both Dorsett and Brandin Cooks now loom large for the defending champs as they square off against the Kansas City Chiefs to start the season on Thursday night.