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Julian Edelman has been away from NFL football fields since 2021, but could the New England Patriots legend actually return?
Brian Baumgartner, star of hit comedy series The Office and host of the iHeartMedia podcast Off the Beat, spoke to Edelman for an August 18 episode, and when asked if he thought the wide receiver would return, he didn’t completely rule it out.
“If Tom [Brady] gave him a call, maybe he would go down to Tampa,” Baumgartner told Heavy.
Still, Baumgartner stated that Edelman seems to be soaking up his post-NFL playing days.
“It sounded [like] to me that he is really enjoying what he is doing,” Baumgartner continued.
Since retiring from the Patriots, Edelman has been getting more involved in media, working on Inside the NFL and also now hosting his own venture, having teamed up with comedian Sam Morril to launch the Games With Names podcast.
Produced by Edelman’s Coast Productions and Superdigital, the former Patriots wide receiver and Morril will search for the greatest games in sports history, with guests such as Peyton Manning, Paul Pierce, and Michael Irvin.
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Baumgartner: Edelman Still Has a Bill Belichick ‘Muffle’
One part of the Edelman interview that caught Baumgartner by surprise was the retired wide receiver seemingly still having a “Belichick muffle” on him. Of course, the current Patriots head coach is known for being tight-lipped and wanting his players to do the same.
“We started talking about Bill and a little bit about the choice this year of not naming a primary offensive coordinator and potential reasons for that,” Baumgartner told Heavy. “And (Edelman) indicated that he thought Bill might be mad at him that Julian had done his imitation of Bill a little bit and that Bill might be thinking he is making fun of him and also not wanting to give up any trade secrets, as is the Patriot Way.”
Baumgartner added that he was hoping to have Edelman do an impression of Belichick but Edelman made it clear that he might be a little nervous doing the impression, so Baumgartner bailed on the request.
So even after spending some time away from the team, Edelman still has the Patriot Way ingrained in him. Belichick told WEEI on August 22 that he still talks “fairly regularly” with Edelman so it’s not too surprising that the wide receiver is still thinking about the coach when speaking publicly.
What More Does Edelman Have to Prove?
Edelman has really done it all throughout his NFL career. The former seventh-round draft pick won three Super Bowl rings in New England and was named the 2019 Super Bowl MVP.
The wide receiver played 11 seasons with the Patriots and tallied 620 receptions, 6,822 yards, and 36 touchdowns. Towards the end of his career, Edelman struggled with knee injuries which helped lead to his retirement after the 2020 season. Edelman ranks second in team history in receptions, fourth in receiving yards, and ninth in receiving touchdowns.
On the “Off The Beat” podcast, Baumgartner sits down with Office guest stars, TV personalities, athletes, and more to talk about their favorite jobs. The podcast is available on iHeart and anywhere podcasts are found.