New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman had his appeal denied and four-game suspension upheld by the NFL Tuesday.

Edelman missed all of last season with a torn ACL suffered in the pre-season, and is now scheduled to miss the first four games of the upcoming season.

According to a report from ESPN, Edelman argued in his appeal the substance he tested positive for wasn’t one recognized by the NFL’s drug tester, and the league mishandled the documentation and delivery of his test results.

The 2009 seventh round draft pick could pursue an appeal in federal court, per the ESPN report.