New England Patriots: With extension, Julian Edelman could retire a Pat
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman was reportedly rewarded with a team friendly two-year extension Thursday.
The defending Super Bowl champions aren’t playing around. Just a couple weeks after re-working the contract of Rob Gronkowski, the New England Patriots rewarded another one of their offensive weapons with a contract extension.
As reported by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Thursday, the Patriots and wide receiver Julian Edelman have agreed on a two-year extension. The deal, with incentives could make Edelman a $15 million-dollar man.
Julian Edelman and Patriots reached agreement on a two-year extension that ties him to New England through 2019 season, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 8, 2017
Most importantly, the extension locks up Edelman through 2019 and just about guarantees the 31-year-old slot receiver finishes his career in New England. The deal also ends any speculation on whether this would’ve been his last season in a Patriots’ uniform.
Julian Edelman is no Wes Welker, he is more
While any thought of that would seem crazy to the average Patriots fan, the possibility was very real before Thursday. Not only was Edelman entering the final year of his contract, he is at an age where pervious Patriots star receivers begin their decline.
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Troy Brown was around 31 when his production began to decline. Wes Welker, who Julian Edelman ultimately replaced, signed with the Denver Broncos at the age of 31. He went on to have just one more really productive season before drifting out of the league due to concussion.
One could argue that the New England Patriots might be taking a risk extending Edelman. Like Welker, he also has a history of injury and concussion. But, the numbers he has put up catching the ball from Tom Brady ends any argument on whether he is worth the investment.
Mr. Clutch performer
Just last year, he finished with 98 catches for 1,106 yards. The iron man type performance was capped off with his unbelievable catch in the Super Bowl 51 historic comeback victory. In case you forgot, take a look below:
Julian Edelman's catch? Incredelman.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) March 26, 2017
Best catch of the year? Vote: https://t.co/jWDy0kRJWX https://t.co/76PFNTDnLr
As far as his overall numbers go, Julian Edelman ranks fifth in receptions among active NFL receivers from 2013 to ’16 according to ESPN. The 356 receptions has him tied with Larry Fitzgerald and just behind Julio Jones.
If that statistic isn’t impressive enough, the 2009 seventh-round pick out of Kent State holds the franchise record for receptions in the playoffs. Edelman was monumental in the team’s last two Super Bowl victories. His competitive nature and never say die work ethic on the field highlighted both comeback performances.
With the offseason, the Patriots have had so far, it is good to see them reward such a hard-working athlete with well-deserved money.
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In all, it gives Julian Edelman a rare chance to finish his career with the team that converted him from a quarterback to one of the most clutch receivers in the NFL.