Earlier this month, it was reported that Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy. 

That came as more bad news for the wide receiver, who missed the entire 2017 season after tearing his ACL in a pre-season game. 

No doubt then, the Patriot was chomping at the bit to get back onto the field. But now, he could miss the first four weeks of 2018. 

WHAT EDELMAN COULD MISS

If the suspension is upheld, Edelman would miss games against the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.

His absence could have a big impact on New England too - as it's well known that quarterback Tom Brady favours number 11 ahead of his other wideouts.  

Of course, Edelman is not going to go down without a fight.

BATTLING THE NFL  

He's appealing the four-game suspension with the hearing set for Monday - and the 32-year-old thinks he stands a good chance of overturning the decision. 

He believes, per 12up.com that there were "significant errors" made in the handling of his case and that there are questions over what caused him to fail his test.

Reports suggest that the substance that showed up on the test isn't actually on the league's list of banned substances. 

Furthermore, as 12up.com explains, Edelman will apparently argue that the NFL made numerous mistakes while documenting and delivering his test results. 

On top of feeling fairly confident about winning his case, the wide receiver has also drafted in some legal muscle - and that may be his secret weapon to winning. 

EDELMAN'S SECRET WEAPON

Per ESPN, Edelman has hired an outside counsel and specifically Alex Spiro - a New York-based attorney who's recently represented a number NBA players in their legal battles. 

He's hoping that Spiro will be the deciding factor in the appeal and given his famed track record - there's no one better for Edelman to put his faith in. 

This whole episode is just the latest in a long-running rivalry between the NFL and the New England Patriots. 

HOPING FOR A BETTER RESULT THAN 2015

It follows on from the Deflategate controversy in 2015 when Brady himself was suspended for four games, following allegations the team underinflated balls the season before. 

Not only was TB12 suspended, but the franchise was fined $1 million and lost two of their draft picks. 

As Edelman and the Patriots get ready to go to war once again against the NFL, they'll be hoping for a much better outcome this time around.