Injury update: Patriots wide receiver Mohamed Sanu will reportedly have to undergo surgery on his ailing ankle

Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu’s first full season with the New England Patriots is apparently not off to a good start: according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 30-year-old will have to undergo surgery on his injured ankle after it failed to properly heal over the course of the offseason. Sanu originally suffered a high-ankle sprain last November, and was forced to miss one game while remaining limited through the rest of the season.

When he hurt his ankle, Sanu was in his third game as a member of the Patriots: the veteran receiver started the 2019 season with the Atlanta Falcons, but was moved in exchange for a second-round draft pick prior to the NFL’s trade deadline. Once in New England, he immediately made an impact by filling the second receiver role alongside Julian Edelman and catching 12 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in his first two games with the club.

His ankle injury, however, changed his trajectory: while Sanu eventually improved towards the end of the regular season, he failed to get on the same page as Tom Brady on numerous occasions — at least partially due to his ankle, one can presume. Despite his quick start, therefore, the ex-Falcon ultimately finished his first half-season in New England with nine in-game appearances and just 27 receptions for 218 yards and one touchdown.

Sanu is entering 2020 projected to be a top three wide receiver for the Patriots alongside Edelman and N’Keal Harry. That being said, the Patriots would save $6.5 million against their salary cap if they opted to part ways with him — a move that is unlikely, however, considering the team’s investment just four months ago.