Is New England Patriots legend Julian Edelman pondering a comeback, more than a year after he announced his retirement from football?
Comments from the three-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl 53 MVP strongly indicate that Edelman may be thinking about it. Edelman retired after an injury-riddled 2020 season with the Patriots.
The Edelman episode of “A Football Life” aired on Friday night, and there was a very interesting tidbit offered by the 36-year-old. The topic of a potential return was brought up, and a humorous Edelman asked when the episode was airing.
He then hinted at potentially making a comeback following Thanksgiving with these comments:
“I don’t know. But, there’s about 12 plays a game I guarantee I can get open and catch a ball right now. Because we all know football season starts after Thanksgiving.”
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Many wondered if Edelman would look to reunite with old friends Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in 2021, after the team won a Super Bowl 55 championship. But Edelman stated he’s “a one-team guy”, ending any speculation that he would go to Tampa.
If Edelman is keen on returning to football, and if he wants to continue the “one-team guy” thing, the Patriots would probably welcome him back in open arms. They’re half a game behind the rival New York Jets for the final wild card spot in the AFC, and an all-time clutch performer like Edelman could certainly boost the offense in a playoff push.
Edelman was limited to six games in his final season with the Patriots back in 2020. In those contests, he caught 21 passes for 315 yards. The year before that, he posted a career-best 1,117 yards for the Patriots in what turned out to be Brady’s final season with the organization.
The Patriots’ leading wide receiver is Jakobi Meyers, who has 47 receptions for 571 yards and three touchdowns. DeVante Parker is next with 420 receiving yards, followed by running back Rhamondre Stevenson with 359.
So yes, the Patriots could definitely use a reliable third-down security blanket and playmaker like Edelman late in the season. Only time will tell if he’ll follow the footsteps of Brady and Gronkowski by coming out of retirement.
