The New England Patriots have confirmed that Julian Edelman will miss the rest of the NFL season.

The 26-year-old sustained a foot injury during the Patriots' win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Edelman recently scored four touchdowns over two games, and is ranked second in the NFL for yards on punt returns.

Coach Bill Belichick paid tribute to the wide receiver: "He's worked hard. Julian is a solid, solid guy.

"He works hard, very good conditioned athlete. He's versatile and he's done a number of different things for us."

The Patriots' win over the Dolphins secured their place in the post-season playoffs.