Photo Courtesies: The Guardian (Top) and Tampabay.com Bottom)
After nearly eleven seasons in the NFL, wide receiver and former New England Patriot Julian Edelman has announced his retirement from football.
The news comes after the Patriots announced they terminated Edelman’s contract due to a failed physical. Julian Edelman only played six games in the 2020 season due to a lingering knee injury and wouldn’t be available for the full 2021 season.
It’s a sad day for Patriots fans around the world. Edelman helped bring stability to a young wide receiver corp. The departure of Wes Welker to the Denver Broncos forced the Patriots to find a new leader, leaving Julian Edelman to take the reins. The former college quarterback had recently made the switch to wide receiver, meaning his experience level was not as strong as others on the depth chart. Nonetheless, Edelman rose to the challenge and led the Patriots to glory.
Since he was drafted by the Patriots in 2009, Julian Edelman has been one of, if not the best Patriots receiver of all time. He has won three Super Bowls, one of which he was crowned Super Bowl MVP (Super Bowl 53). In his career, he also has 620 receptions for over 6000 receiving yards. To put the frosting on the cake, he finished with 36 total touchdowns for the Patriots. His clutch factor and ability to produce on demand made Edelman a one-of-a-kind player.
With Edelman now out of the equation, there’s one big question for the Patriots organization: What’s next?
The good news for the Patriots is that they already had plan in place to replace Edelman in 2021. Quarterback Cam Newton has plenty of options to choose from, including newly signed tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and breakout star Jakobi Meyers. N’Keal Harry is also a reserve option if one of the other targets go down. Even without Julian Edelman, Josh McDaniels’ offense appears to be set in terms of talent depth.
For Julian Edelman, the next phase of his career is the hall of fame and community involvement. Edelman has helped several organizations around the New England area, and with some extra time during retirement, this could be an excellent opportunity to make an impact on his community. In terms of the hall of fame, it is unlikely Edelman will punch a ticket to Canton, Ohio. However, it is almost guaranteed that he will be in the Patriots’ Hall of Fame. He made such a profound impact to the organization, and with his statistics over eleven seasons, it’s impossible he doesn’t get in.
The 34-year-old veteran had one heck of a career with the Patriots, with plenty of memories to share. One distinct memory is his catch during Super Bowl 51. While the Patriots were mounting one of the greatest comebacks in sports, Tom Brady threw a bullet to Edelman in triple coverage. Edelman, being the elusive receiver he was, managed to come down with the catch with just ONE INCH of clearance between his hands and the turf. This catch was one of not only the most memorable, but also one of the most skilled catches in the Super Bowl era.
Edelman’s retirement closes the book of the infamous Patriots dynasty, as he was one of the final core pieces to the group. Coach Belichick will now look to build another winning franchise with a brand-new set of players.
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