Tom Brady might not have two of his top three receivers when the Patriots begin training camp in late July.
Danny Amendola, who recently accepted a sharp pay cut to remain with the Patriots for 2016, might miss part of training camp and potentially some of the regular season after undergoing offseason surgeries for his ankle and knee, a league source said on Tuesday.
The news came less than a week after reports emerged that Julian Edelman recently had another surgery on his foot. Edelman suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot last November, missed the final seven games of the regular season, then returned for the two playoff games.
The two receivers are candidates to start the season on the physically unable to perform list, which would prevent them from practicing with their teammates until they are removed from the list. They can be removed at any time during training camp, but if they remain on the PUP list at the start of the season, NFL rules will require them to miss the first six regular-season games.
The Patriots may have accounted for Amendola potentially missing the first six games with his new contract, which he signed May 6. Amendola will be paid $25,000 for each game he is active, but only for a maximum of 10 games, for a total of $250,000. Amendola also received a $100,000 signing bonus and $1.25 million base salary. His initial contract called for him to make up to $6 million this year.
Amendola, 30, has played in 42 of a possible 48 games in three seasons with the Patriots but has constantly battled injuries. In 2013, he missed four games with a torn groin, and last year he missed two games with a knee injury.
Amendola is coming off his best season with the Patriots, catching 65 passes for 648 yards and three touchdowns. He also averaged 21.5 yards on eight kickoff returns and 12.0 yards on 23 punt returns.
The Patriots have added several receivers to complement Edelman and Amendola this offseason, including Chris Hogan, Nate Washington, and fourth-round pick Malcolm Mitchell. The Patriots also have Keshawn Martin, Aaron Dobson, Chris Harper, DeAndre Carter, and seventh-round pick Devin Lucien on their receiver depth chart.
Share with the Bears
The Patriots will once again hold joint practices with another team in training camp, hosting the Chicago Bears for two days of practices at Gillette Stadium Aug. 15-16 before playing the Bears in a preseason game Aug. 18.
The practices will be free and open to the public, and will include several reunions and family connections. Current Patriots Martellus Bennett, Shea McClellin, and Brock Vereen played for the Bears last year, while current Chicago defensive tackle Akiem Hicks played for the Patriots last year.
The Bears also have former Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer, while kicker Robbie Gould, guard Ted Larsen, and receiver Nathan Palmer each spent time with the Patriots.
Patriots defensive end Chris Long will be squaring off against his brother, Bears guard/tackle Kyle Long, and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will reunite with his younger brother, Bears offensive assistant Ben McDaniels.
The Patriots also may hold joint practices with the New Orleans Saints in the days leading up to the teams’ preseason opener Aug. 11 at Gillette Stadium.
Jim McBride contributed to this report. Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @BenVolin
