When Troy Brown was watching the New England Patriots practice in the summer of 2009, he couldn’t help but gush over an unfamiliar rookie receiver.
Julian Edelman, a seventh-round pick that year, was causing mayhem all over the field as a punt returner and backup slot receiver. It seemed as though Tom Brady was controlling him with a joystick.
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So Brown walked over to Bill Belichick and opined that the Patriots have “the next Wes Welker” on the roster.
Belichick interjected, “No way, he’s the next you.”
Somehow, Edelman surpassed those expectations during an iconic 12-year tenure with the Patriots. He was the franchise’s most accomplished playoff receiver, offering shades of Brown in the second phase of the dynasty.
That run came to a close Monday when the 34-year-old announced his retirement due to a knee injury that became too cumbersome to overcome. The Patriots officially released Edelman with a failed physical designation, merely a procedural move to generate $3.4 million in cap space.
Edelman has had a chronic knee issue for quite some time. Even now, five and a half months since midseason surgery, it had been viewed as a real challenge for Edelman to be able to get through the upcoming season. As that reality continued to set in, Edelman knew he couldn’t go any longer.
“I’ve always said I’m going to go until the wheels come off,” Edelman said in a video on social media. “And they finally have fallen off.”
Edelman went down swinging last season, too. After his knee didn’t respond well to the surgery, he still tried to return in December when the Patriots were eliminated from playoff contention – only shutting it down when he realized it just wasn’t possible. He wanted to be out there with his teammates.
It’s the only way he knew.
Edelman should be a Patriots Hall of Famer when he is first eligible in 2025. He might even draw consideration from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Edelman is a three-time Super Bowl champion and was the game’s MVP against the Rams to cap the 2018 season in Super Bowl LIII. He ranks second all time with 118 postseason catches and 1,442 yards, trailing only Jerry Rice in each category.
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While discussing Edelman in 2019, Rice told The Athletic, “He’s got that attitude, that ‘f*ck you’ attitude: ‘I’m going to do what I want to do, and I’m going to go out and I’m going to ball. I’m going to make catches. I’m going to score touchdowns. I’m going to do whatever I have to do to help my team win.’
“You can only have an appreciation for that.”
That perfectly encapsulated Edelman’s style. He had to earn every catch and accolade along the way, even though the Patriots recognized his ability in their first summer together.
Edelman became a first-time free agent in 2013, and he needed to visit other teams before the Patriots ultimately re-signed him for one year and about $1 million. He then broke out that season for 105 catches, 1,056 yards and six touchdowns – doubling his career totals across the board – but went through the offseason ringer again. He visited his hometown San Francisco 49ers before the Patriots came through on a four-year, $17 million deal to cement his place on the team.
From there, Edelman morphed into a legend on the postseason stage. Since Edelman became a full-time player in 2013, the Patriots were 11-3 in the playoffs when he was on the field.
He delivered a 51-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola to help the Patriots erase a pair of 14-point deficits against the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round after the 2014 season. Then in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seahawks, Edelman withstood a devastating shot from Kam Chancellor to make a 21-yard catch on third-and-14 to kickstart the Patriots’ 10-point, fourth-quarter comeback.
Edelman punctuated that historic victory with the game-winning 3-yard touchdown catch. The best part about that play? Edelman ran the exact same in-and-out route against cornerback Tharold Simon a series earlier, but Brady overshot him. The Patriots trusted him to run it again, and he delivered to end the franchise’s nine-season Super Bowl title drought.
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Edelman made a gravity-defying 23-yard catch among a gaggle of Atlanta Falcons during the Patriots’ game-tying drive in Super Bowl LI, then added a 15-yard grab on second-and-13 in overtime. They wouldn’t have erased a 28-3 deficit without him.
With offense at a premium in Super Bowl LIII, Edelman led the way with 10 catches and 141 yards to become the MVP. He had a case for the award in the previous pair of Super Bowl victories and finally earned the hardware in his final appearance on the sport’s greatest stage.
“By any measure of what constitutes an elite NFL career – wins, championships, production – Julian has it all,” Belichick said Monday. “Few players can match Julian’s achievements, period, but considering his professional trajectory and longevity, the group is even more select. It is historic. This is a tribute to his legendary competitiveness, mental and physical toughness and will to excel.”
Belichick caught a glimpse of that player in 2009.
As it turned out, Edelman still blew away every expectation.
(Photo of Edelman: Jim Rogash / Getty Images)
Jeff Howe is the NFL National Insider for The Athletic. A native of Lowell, Mass., and a UMass graduate, he previously covered the New England Patriots from 2009-21. Howe, who has been with The Athletic since 2018, is the author of “If These Walls Could Talk: New England Patriots.” Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffphowe
