The New England Patriots are now hampered by injuries at wide receiver, with Julian Edelman undergoing knee surgery earlier this week.

Following his surgery, the Patriots have placed Edelman on injured reserve and Bill Belichick expects him to be back this season, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Due to the new rules of injured reserve, Edelman will have to sit a minimum of three games for the Patriots. That means the soonest he can return is when New England takes on the Houston Texans in Week 11.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Edelman was dealing with a knee ailment. After undergoing some tests, Edelman's best option was to undergo surgery and he was immediately ruled out for the Patriots' upcoming matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

But with the surgery taking place right now, Edelman is going to miss at least three weeks for the Patriots. At the same time, Belichick believes the veteran pass-catcher can return at some point this season. Of course, if New England continues to falter, it will be interesting to see if they sit him for the rest of the season.

Edelman got off to a fast start to begin the season, hauling in 13 passes for 236 yards, proving to be Cam Newton's favorite target. However, in the last four games, Edelman has accumulated only eight receptions for 79 yards.

Even though he hasn't scored a touchdown yet, Edelman is still a massive loss for a passing offense that has looked lackadaisical in recent weeks. It will be up to guys like Damiere Byrd and Jakobi Meyers to fill the void left by Edelman and N'Keal Harry on Sunday.