New England Patriots starting center David Andrews has been hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe. The ailment may put him out for the entirety of the 2019 season — it could be that severe.

“A blood clot is a clump of blood that has changed from a liquid to a gel-like or semisolid state. Clotting is a necessary process that can prevent you from losing too much blood in certain instances, such as when you’re injured or cut.

When a clot forms inside one of your veins, it won’t always dissolve on its own. This can be a very dangerous and even life-threatening situation,” according to Healthline.com.

The Patriots placed Andrews as their full-time starter in 2016; since then, he has turned into one of the league's best. He has built a rapport with Tom Brady and calls all of the blocking audibles at the line of scrimmage. He has done so despite going undrafted out of Georgia in 2015.

Since 2015, Andrews has played 60 regular-season games for the Patriots, starting all but three. He has won two Super Bowls as a starter since the team found him in the undrafted pool. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed two sacks and earned four penalties in 2018.

PFF gave Andrews the 10th-best pass-blocking grade for a center in 2018 (73.4). In Week 3 against the Detroit Lions, he recorded their best grade for a center on the season, finishing at 90.6. If he is out, his production as a 27-year-old building block for the offensive line will be missed.