New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman may be dealing with a knee injury, but he's motivated to remain on the field for his team. On Sunday morning, Michael Giardi of the NFL Network reported that Edelman was dealing with a tendon issue in his left knee, and that it was affecting his play.

Watching him during Sunday's 34-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, it was clear that he was not 100 percent healthy. He was slow off the snap, looked uncomfortable running and finished with a season-low two receptions for just nine yards.

The 33-year-old has been listed with thumb, rib, chest, shoulder and knee injuries this season, but has yet to miss a game. Edelman has sat out practice sessions over the past couple of weeks, but has always been ready to go by the weekend. Despite his tough outing against the Bengals, Edelman is already looking forward to the Patriots' Saturday matchup against the Buffalo Bills. 

"We've gotta be able to turn it around quick," Edelman said on Sunday, via Masslive.com. "Get started ASAP. This Bills team is a very good football team. They've been playing very well. I mean, it's the perfect storm. They've got a good coaching staff, you got a quarterback, and they've got a really good defense."

That defense forced five turnovers in the 17-10 win the Bills registered over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, which guaranteed them a spot in the playoffs. 

As for whether Edelman will be able to go on a short week, that's a question many are trying to answer right now. Dr. Jessica Flynn, who is a sports medicine physician at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, has a couple of guesses about how serious this injury is and how effective he can be for the remainder of the season. 

According to Dr. Flynn, it's possible that Edelman has mild patellar tendonitis, which can be managed with treatments. It's a "stubborn" injury to heal, but it wouldn't necessarily keep him off the field. If Edelman indeed has a partial tear of the tendon, then it's possible the Patriots could end up shutting him down for the rest of the season. Either way, Dr. Flynn maintains that this is not a "nothing" injury.

This could end up being a situation that affects if the Patriots can make a deep run in the playoffs. Edelman is New England's leading receiver with 1,019 yards and six touchdowns on 92 receptions. The next top wideout is Phillip Dorsett, who has just 50 receptions for 347 yards and five touchdowns. The Patriots are still waiting for young weapons like N'Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers to take the next step forward, and it's yet to be seen if they can stand on their own without the threat Edelman brings to this offense. 

"I think everyone is banged up," Edelman said. "This is going into Week 15. It's a tough sport. It's a grind."