New England Patriots: Julian Edelman the next legend to exit Boston
Has Julian Edelman played his last game with the New England Patriots? Has he played his last NFL game?
With Zdeno Chara shocking the Boston sports scene by signing a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals, could New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman be the next Boston sports icon to exit?
Given his age, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Edelman has played his last game for the Patriots, perhaps his final game as a professional football player.
Even before a knee injury ended his 2020 NFL campaign, the 34-year-old Edelman didn’t look like the Edelman we all know. Except for that career-game in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks in which the veteran receiver hauled in 8 catches for 179 yards, No. 11 looked mostly lost without Tom Brady.
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Not to put complete blame on Cam Newton, but there wasn’t much chemistry there and Julian Edelman looked mostly frustrated in the New England Patriots offense.
Has his time come to an end or does he need a fresh start?
Knowing how competitive of a player and person Edelman is, a fresh start will likely be his destination versus outright retirement. With the Patriots headed for a rebuild or retooling, NFL.com analyst David Carr believes it could be the end of the road for Julian Edelman in New England:
In his article, “Six players who need a fresh start,” he writes:
"“The New England Patriots will be in rebuild mode this offseason, with ample cap space and plenty of holes to fill (starting at quarterback). With a boatload of questions surrounding the organization, expect the front office and Edelman to have a discussion. Does he want to be part of a roster overhaul? Does New England want to keep the veteran in a room full of young guys? Financially, cutting Edelman would incur just a $2.6 million cap hit, so that’s not out of the question.”"
Julian Edelman has proven when healthy that he still has football left in him, but the question going into the offseason is whether it is time to take his talents elsewhere. Depending on who the quarterback is in 2021 for the New England Patriots, it may be an easy decision for Edelman.
If it is Cam Newton again or a young quarterback, he may decide going somewhere else will be beneficial to end his career. If it is a familiar quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo or even a veteran like Matthew Stafford, he may stay if the team feels he can still have an impact within the offense.
A likely scenario, as highlighted by Carr, is that he would go down and join Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. If Julian Edelman is available and does not retire, Brady will attempt to get his good buddy to join him down south and you know Edelman will not say no to his partner in crime.
So, while Boston sports fans are still stinging from the departures of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Mookie Betts and Zdeno Chara, it may be time to prepare for another departure.
Next. The great Bill Belichick outcoached all season long. dark
Has Julian Edelman played his last game as a member of the New England Patriots?
I’m afraid it is highly likely whether he calls it quits or decides he has more to prove.