New England Patriots center David Andrews will have shoulder surgery, sending him to injured reserve and likely ending his season, coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday.

“First word I would say is toughness,” Mayo said. “It’s definitely a huge loss.”

Andrews, 32, had been weighing whether to have the procedure now or at the end of the season because he also wants to play in 2025, MassLive.com reported.

He was injured on the first offensive drive for the Patriots (1-3) on Sunday at San Francisco and replaced by veteran Nick Leverett in the 30-13 loss to the 49ers.

“It’s tough,” said quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who previously played with Andrews in New England in 2016. “That one hurt me. (He’s) one of the key reasons why I wanted to come back here.”

Andrews spoke of his situation on his “Quick Snap Podcast” earlier this week.

“Being hurt is a very frustrating thing, especially when you want to be out there playing,” he told former teammate Brian Hoyer. “As a player, sometimes you have to make decisions if you being out there is the best thing for the team, and if you can perform. … I’m going to try to get better as quick as I can, and see where things go — or what has to go. I’m just trying to figure all that stuff out.”

The starter in the first four games, Andrews has played 78 percent (194) of the offensive snaps this season after playing 100 percent (1,051 snaps) in starting all 17 games last season

Andrews has won two Super Bowl rings since joining the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Georgia in 2015. He spent the 2019 season on injured reserve.

He has started 121 of his 124 regular-season games for New England. He also has 10 starts in 12 playoff games.

In May, he agreed to a contract extension through 2025, earning a base salary of $12 million in each season with a max value of $13 million, plus a total of $8 million fully guaranteed, according to reports.

–Field Level Media