Malcolm Mitchell's 2018 season in jeopardy due to knee injury

Malcolm Mitchell’s career has hit another speed bump.

The once promising wide receiver will not be with his teammates at the start of training camp this week after undergoing a procedure on his knee, according to a source. Mitchell has dealt with knee injuries since college and missed all of last season due to a knee ailment.

Although it’s not known as to whether or not this latest setback will cost Mitchell his season, it could very well conclude his career [...]

Malcolm Mitchell’s career has hit another speed bump.

The once promising wide receiver will not be with his teammates at the start of training camp this week after undergoing a procedure on his knee, according to a source. Mitchell has dealt with knee injuries since college and missed all of last season due to a knee ailment.

Although it’s not known as to whether or not this latest setback will cost Mitchell his season, it could very well conclude his career with the Patriots. According to a source, it’s possible that Mitchell is waived or released with an injury settlement before the start of the season. The Patriots are still working things out on that end.

The procedure on Monday, according to a source, was an attempt to determine cause and a solution for Mitchell's ongoing knee pain.

In college, Mitchell dealt with multiple knee injuries. He suffered a torn right ACL in 2013 in a game. In 2014, he suffered another injury to that right knee and had arthroscopic surgery. 

Drafted in the fourth round in 2016, Mitchell looked like one of the Patriots most promising receivers since Deion Branch. As a rookie, he caught 32 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns. In the Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons, Mitchell caught six passes for 70 yards.  Unfortunately, that might be Mitchell’s last impact for the Patriots.

Last summer, Mitchell suffered a knee injury in the preseason against Houston. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list and although he practiced later in the season, he was never placed on the active roster.

This offseason, Mitchell practiced with the Patriots on the first day of OTAs. Unfortunately, that was the last the receiver was seen as he was absent during all OTA and minicamp practices open to the media.

On Monday, the Patriots added another wide receiver – Devin Lucien – to go with their already crowded depth chart. Although losing Mitchell is tough since he once showed so much promise, the Patriots do have several options including Chris Hogan, Kenny Britt, Jordan Matthews, Cordarrelle Patterson, Riley McCarron, Braxton Berrios, Cody Hollister and Julian Edelman, who’s starting the season on a four-game suspension.