The New England Patriots suffered a major blow to their offense with veteran wide receiver Julian Edelman suffering a torn ACL in Friday's preseason game against the Detriot Lions.

The 31-year-old took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to send an inspirational message to Patriots fans.

Edelman is expected to miss the entire 2017 season due to the injury. In the last four years, he had latched onto a large role in the passing game as one of Tom Brady's favorite targets, racking up 90 or more catches with more than 950 receiving yards three times over that span.

He is coming off one of his most productive campaigns, recording 98 catches for a career-high 1,106 receiving yards, as well as three touchdowns. This includes racking up seven or more receptions in nine games last season. Edelman also holds the franchise mark for 89 receptions in the postseason, which is the third-highest mark in league history behind just Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (151) and former Indianapolis Colts great Reggie Wayne (93).

His absence will make Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski Brady's most relied upon receiving option this upcoming season. It should also lead to increased opportunities for offseason acquisition Brandin Cooks and second-year wideout Malcolm Mitchell, as well as Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan.