The New England Patriots‘ Julian Edelman‘s future seems a little less up in the air after a recent appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast.
As the Patriots’ disappointing 2020 season came to an end and Edelman finished the campaign on injured reserve, there were questions as to whether he would play again.
Thankfully, it seems Edelman is gearing up for another season in the NFL and barring a release, another campaign with the only pro franchise he’s ever played.
The show’s host Big Cat asked Edelman about his future, and the latter responded:
You guys are nuts. What are you talking about? Right now we’re being a dad right now and we’re sitting back and training, getting our body right for the next year. It’s a time to get away from football right now. It was a long, crazy year. I don’t know. We’re not there yet. This whole year was so jacked up, man. It was so long. I just need to decompress for a little bit. I am out in L.A. right now and taking my kid to school and picking her up, and doing those kind of things that you don’t get to do during the season. I am enjoying that right now, so I don’t necessarily know what you guys are talking about.
That definitely sounds like a guy not quite ready to call it a career. You can listen to the entire episode below.
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The Patriots’ Receiver Situation
New England’s wide receiver group was arguably the weakest aspect of the 2020 roster. Edelman’s knee injury only further weakened the unit. Quite honestly, if the Patriots were more talented at wide receiver, they might be pushing Edelman into retirement, or at least discussing the most respectful way to release him.
As it stands, he could still be a very important piece of the passing game in 2021 if the Patriots add at least one other capable wide receiver in free agency and/or the NFL Draft.
Ideally, New England could play Edelman as a fourth wide receiver behind Jakobi Meyers and perhaps two newcomers.
The Patriots’ Quarterback Situation
Some believe Bill Belichick and Co. will need to address the quarterback situation before looking to add quality receivers–especially via free agency. Top-notch free-agent wide receivers will want to know who is throwing them the ball before they make a decision to sign a contract with the Patriots.
Guys like the Tennessee Titans’ Corey Davis aren’t going to choose the Patriots over spots like the Green Bay Packers without having a clue as to who the quarterback will be. Aaron Rodgers is going to beat out QB-X every day of the week.
New England hasn’t made a decision on whether to bring back Cam Newton–at least not publicly. They could still do that and have him play the role of a bridge quarterback for the next franchise guy. New England could also look to make a splash by going after a high-priced free-agent like Dak Prescott or even exploring a trade for someone like the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford or the Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan.
We’ll have to wait and see, but whoever is throwing passes for the Patriots in 2021 might just be tossing a few Edelman’s way.
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Patriots Great Hints at Plans for 2021 Season