Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman out for season with knee injury

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman will miss the 2017 season after sustaining a knee injury in a preseason game.

Edelman, 31, a favorite target of quarterback Tom Brady, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Super Bowl champions preseason win over the Detroit Lions on Friday night. The injury, which occurred without contact, was announced Saturday afternoon.

This year is Edelman’s ninth season in the National Football League. He signed a two-year, $11 million contract extension with the Patriots earlier this year.

There was some debate over whether Edelman was Jewish — the Patriots maintained that he was raised Christian, despite having a Jewish father. But Edelman identified himself as Jewish during a 2013 interview on the NFL Network.

Robert Kraft, a Jewish-American businessman, owns the Patriots and has been a leading advocate for American football in Israel.