The last time we saw Julian Edelman on a football field, he was torching the Rams' secondary for 141 yards on his way to being named the MVP of Super Bowl LIII. 

The next time we see Edelman on field was supposed to be this week when the Patriots report to training camp, but that won't be happening due to a mysterious injury that the receiver recently suffered. According to ESPN.com, Edelman is expected to miss at least three weeks of camp due to an injured left thumb.

The injury was first spotted over the weekend when Edelman showed up to his youth camp with a brace on his left thumb. Edelman did his best to hide the brace by wearing gloves for the entire event, but it was still noticeable. 

One thing that's still a mystery is how the injury occurred. It's not clear if Edelman injured his thumb while catching passes during his time off or if he somehow injured it while on vacation. 

Although Edelman spoke at his youth camp, he didn't mention the injury. 

"I'm extremely excited for the new year. This is a new team," Edelman said at his camp, via ESPN.com. "With training camp coming up, this is kind of like when school is back in session. We had summer break. You get to see all the fellas, and this is where you learn your team, learn each other and become accountable for each other, and create a consistency together. This is like the beginning shape form of your team, these next few weeks. It's a crucial point. You put a lot of hard work in during the spring and it's the next step until you're playing with other teams."

Edelman and the Patriots are scheduled to report to training camp Wednesday, but even when that happens, you probably shouldn't expect to get anymore details on the injury, and that's because no one is more tight-lipped when it comes to injuries than Bill Belichick. 

With Edelman almost certainly out until mid-August, there is one small upside for the Patriots: All their young receivers will be able to get a few more practice reps with Tom Brady, which is especially important since Brady skipped the team's offseason workout program. 

Brady will have a long list of receivers to get some reps with, including 2019 first-round pick N'Keal Harry, Braxton Berrios, Maurice Harris, Phillip Dorsett, and Dontrelle Inman, who was added in free agency this offseason. 

As for Edelman, he won't be the only Patriots player on the sideline to start camp. Sony Michel (knee) and Demaryius Thomas (Achilles) are both expected to start camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.