Getty Julian Edelman
Number shortages will likely result in a lot fewer jersey numbers being retired in the NFL in the future. Count former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman as one of the most recent greats who will see his number on the field being worn by a player after his retirement.
Edelman retired earlier this year and it hasn’t taken the Patriots long to re-issue his No. 11. New England recently signed undrafted free-agent kicker Riley Patterson to the practice squad and gave him No. 11.
Edelman learned of the news and had a pretty funny response.
Julian Edelman Seems to Be Taking the Re-Issue of His No. 11 in Stride
Edelman doesn’t seem to bothered by the re-issue of his No. 11.
In a response to ESPN’s Mike Reiss tweet about Patterson getting Edelman’s old number, the future Patriots Hall-of-Famer jokingly tweeted this response starring ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith:
If there is anyone who should feel pretty secure about their standing with an organization, it should be Edelman. Jersey numbers are nice and probably a bit more important to some players than others, but at the end of the day, it’s not about the number it’s more about the player wearing the digits.
While Edelman is seemingly OK with his number being re-issued, you do have to wonder why the Patriots would give it to a kicker–a practice squad guy at that.
As NBC Sports’ Darren Hartwell explains, due to rules governing the jersey numbers certain position players can wear, the only other choice would have created an even bigger stir. Hartwell wrote: “In that context, No. 11 actually was Patterson’s only option: Kickers are allowed to wear Nos. 1 through 19, and the only two uniform numbers available in that range were 11 and … 12.” We saw N’Keal Harry take Cam Newton’s No. 1 before the latter’s locker was even cold, shortly after his release.
Still, this one has a little more impact.
The Next, and Only Patriots Number We’ll Probably Ever See Retired Again is Tom Brady
Edelman, Wes Welker, Matthew Slater, Tedy Bruschi, Dont’a Hightower, Stephen Gostkowski, Adam Vinatieri, Devin McCourty and a list of other Patriots could theoretically make an argument to get their numbers retired.
That’s essentially the problem.
There have been so many great Patriots that if every player who played a significant role in the organization’s 20-year dynasty was honored by having their numbers taken out of circulation, the team wouldn’t have enough to go around–that’s even with the recent rule change that allows single numbers to defensive lineman, linebackers, defensive backs, wide receivers and running backs.
Expect Edelman to be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame and for that to be the new standard of acknowledgment. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see that become a trend across the league.
Brady will probably be the last Patriot to have his number retired because, as we’re beginning to see, no other person has been more responsible for the organization’s success over the past two decades.
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Patriots Give Away Julian Edelman’s No. 11, He Responds