Out of the laundry list of tasks on Bill Belichick’s mind this offseason, Julian Edelman’s future must sit near the top.
The 34-year-old played in a career-low six games last year and he missed the final stretch after getting knee surgery. Edelman’s won three Super Bowls, a Super Bowl MVP and holds records in the playoffs with some of the elite wide receivers.
There’s no reason for him to get beat up in the slot position, especially without his best friend Tom Brady, but logic doesn’t enter the equation when it comes to Edelman’s football decisions. He puts everything on the field and that’s why retirement is such a difficult choice for him.
Edelman joined Pardon My Take on Friday morning and was asked about retirement this offseason.
“What are you talking about?” he said. “Right now we’re being a dad right now and we’re sitting back training, getting our body right for the next year and it’s a time to get away from football right now. It was a long, crazy year.”
“I don’t know. We’re not there yet. This whole year was so jacked up, man. It was so long. I just need to decompress for a little bit. I am out in L.A. right now and taking my kid to school and picking her up, and doing those kind of things that you don’t get to do during the season. I am enjoying that right now, so I don’t necessarily know what [you’re] talking about.”
Understandably so, because the Patriots still need a quarterback and some talent needs to fall in place before decisions can be fully made. Fortunately for Edelman and the offense, Josh McDaniels didn’t leave for a head-coaching job and his expertise will still be offered.
When it comes to the receivers’ current status, it’s a work in progress.
“I am getting there, man,” he said. “It was a rough year when it came to my physicality and how I felt. It’s tough boys. It’s tough. This is the time where you self-reflect and you evaluate and you self-scout yourself throughout all of last year and you really go in and develop a formula and develop a gameplan for how you’re going to attack the offseason and that is the process I am in right now.”
Edelman has one year left on his contract extension and plenty of time to make the decision over the offseason.
New FriYAY PMT is now live!
-A FriYAY 2fer with @Edelman11 & @gregmaddux
-We're sad Philip Rivers retired
-Dan Campbell is a dude
-Championship Weekend Preview
-Fyre Fest & moreDL, R & S —-> https://t.co/nAh2Qz0Hyi pic.twitter.com/RRWRDWijpI
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) January 22, 2021
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