The New England Patriots will, in fact, begin the 2018 season without wide receiver Julian Edelman.
The star wideout had the appeal of his four-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy denied Tuesday, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Edelman tested positive for an unrecognizable substance last month, but planned to "mount a vigorous defense." However, he and his defense team never argued the positive test but instead focused on paperwork, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
The 32-year-old missed the entirety of the 2017 season due to a torn ACL but was expected to make a full return for the beginning of this coming campaign.
He'll miss the Patriots' first four games against the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Miami Dolphins.
