New England Patriots: Why can’t we appreciate Julian Edelman?

Julian Edelman retired this week and he received an outpouring of love from New England Patriots fans, but the larger story took away from Edelman’s moment.

Besides Patriots remembering how great Edelman was, the conversation quickly became about Edelman’s eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Edelman had an amazing career for the Patriots. He racked up over 620 catches, 6,822 yards, and 36 touchdowns. That’s pretty impressive for a guy who played QB in college.

Edelman will be remembered most for what he did in the postseason. He has numerous plays that will be remembered for the rest of time by Patriots fans.

So why did the conversation immediately turn to the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Does it even matter if Edelman makes it?

No matter if he makes the Pro Football Hall of Fame or not, Julian Edelman is a New England Patriots legend.

It might seem shocking, but Edelman’s HOF status doesn’t really have an impact on Edelman’s legacy. With his retirement, Edelman cemented his status in New England and the rest of the NFL.

Edelman will always be a Patriots legend. He helped the team win three Super Bowls and was Tom Brady’s main man for many years.

No matter how hard Edelman got hit, he always popped back up. He was the definition of reliable for New England.

But father time eventually caught up to Edelman. All those big hits that he took finally started to act up. A knee injury would be the injury that would force Edelman to end his career.

There is no doubt that Edelman will be a Patriots Hall of Famer. He will get his red jacket and be remembered as one (if not the) best slot receiver in New England’s history.

But there is a chance that Edelman doesn’t make his way to Canton, Ohio. His numbers might not look great compared to some of the game’s greatest players.

Edelman’s postseason production is what makes him a possible HOF’er. He is one of the best postseason receivers in the history of the NFL. If the Patriots needed a big catch in the playoffs or Super Bowl, Edelman was a player they could rely on.

But no matter what ends up happening, Edelman will still have his Super Bowl rings. He will still have those highlight plays that will be folklore to Pats fans.

So it’s not worth arguing about whether or not Edelman belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Instead, fans should just appreciate all that he has done for the New England Patriots in what will go down as a great NFL career.