Julian Edelman will officially miss the first four games of the 2018 season.
The New England Patriots wide receiver's appeal of his four-game suspension was denied, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday. Edelman's ban stems from a violation of the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy.
An NFL spokesperson later confirmed the decision.
Edelman's representatives argued during his appeal last Monday that mistakes made in testing and other processes led to the suspension, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported. The evidence presented was not enough to vacate the suspension or decrease the length of the ban.
Candidates to earn Edelman's targets in the receiver's stead include third-year option Malcolm Mitchell, trade acquisition Cordarrelle Patterson and all of New England's running backs -- James White, Sony Michel, Jeremy Hill and Rex Burkhead, especially.
