Getty Tom Brady hasn't quit on getting two of his favorite targets in Tampa Bay for 2022.
Tom Brady’s longtime favorite receiver Julian Edelman admitted he is leaving the door open for a possible NFL comeback and mentioned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a possible landing spot. During a June 27, 2022 interview on the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast, Edelman labeled the Patriots as the most likely landing spot if he returns to the field but also mentioned playing again with Brady.
“Who said I would go to the Buccaneers?” Edelman said of the Bucs rumors. “Maybe there’s a couple of other teams. …If I would ever come back, I would want to come back as a Pat, probably, be part of that.”
Edelman later clarified that he had not been in contact with the Patriots and admitted it would be an interesting opportunity to reunite with Brady in Tampa. The former star receiver added that the Buccaneers have “too many hands to feed,” making the situation less than ideal.
“The Pats haven’t offered me anything, I’m not coming back like that …and I would love to play with Brady, too, though, you know what I mean,” Edelman explained. “They [Tampa Bay] got too many hands to feed out there.”
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Edelman on Potential NFL Comeback: ‘I Will Probably Start Training a Little More’
Hey @patriots 🙂👋🏾 Y’all got any space for Jules? @Edelman11
Edelman noted that his body is feeling better after a year away from football and admitted he plans to ramp up his training to see if a potential comeback is possible. While Edelman left the door open for a possible return, the longtime NFL playmaker noted that he feels way behind in the process.
“So, now that I’ve taken a year off, and like I’m not loading my body, compounding loads every single day, my body feels pretty straight,” Edelman remarked. “And I’ve gone and dabbled out and you go run routes, but then you see when you run routes, the next day like, ‘Alright, I’m not too bad.’
“But I’m already like 10,000 reps behind I feel in my mind. So, then to answer your question, probably not [return], but I will probably start training a little more and more just to kind of put some data on my brain to see if I can do it. I’m not going to put myself out there to look silly, get strapped up. I’m not going to go out there where I can get open on one play. I want to go out and if I want to ball, I’m going to have to go out and consistently do it time and time again.”
Will Brady Attempt to Recruit Edelman to Join the Bucs?
When asked about coming back to the NFL, Julian @Edelman11 admits during the @IAMATHLETEpod that after taking a year off football his knee feels better than when he retired.
“Now that I’ve taken a year off, my body feels pretty straight.”
Despite Edelman’s claim about the Buccaneers depth, wide receiver continues to be a question mark since Antonio Brown was released in January. Mike Evans is back as the Bucs WR1, but Chris Godwin is recovering from a season-ending ACL injury. Tampa Bay signed former Atlanta wideout Russell Gage who is the favorite to be the Bucs third receiver.
Could Brady attempt to make a recruiting pitch to Edelman now that the former Patriots wideout is leaving the door open for a potential return? While Edelman may prefer the Patriots, the Buccaneers cannot be ruled out if Edelman wants to come out of retirement.