National Football League

Julian Edelman retires after iconic career in New England – is he Hall of Fame-bound?

Updated Apr. 13, 2021 4:33 p.m. ET

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Another key member of the New England Patriots dynasty is moving on from the team.

On Monday, Julian Edelman announced his retirement from the Patriots with a video on Twitter captioned simply, "Foxboro Forever."

In the nearly four-minute video, the 34-year-old sits in a chair on the field at Gillette Stadium, his home turf for the entirety of his 12-year NFL career.

After a quick pan to set the scene, along with some audio of Edelman's career highlights, the longtime Patriot dives in on his decision to retire.

"Nothing in my career has ever come easy, and — no surprise — this isn’t going to be easy either. Now, I’ve always said, 'I’m gonna go until the wheels come off!' And they finally have fallen off. Due to an injury last year, I’ll be making my official announcement of my retirement from football.

"It was a hard decision, but the right decision for me and my family. And I'm honored and so proud to be retiring a Patriot."

Head coach Bill Belichick ⁠— who drafted Edelman, a quarterback out of Kent State, in the seventh round in 2009 ⁠— was lavish in his praise for the versatile wide receiver.

"For all Julian did for our team, what I may appreciate the most is he was the quintessential throwback player. He could, and did, do everything ⁠— catch, run, throw, block, return, cover and tackle ⁠— all with an edge and attitude that would not allow him to fail under any circumstance. Julian Edelman is the ultimate competitor, and it was a privilege to coach him."

Edelman's former quarterback, Tom Brady, chimed in as well, praising him for making a habit of coming through when it mattered most.

Naturally, in true Patriots fashion, the team maximized Edelman's ability to find the biggest advantage in any situation.

Edelman retires with 620 career catches for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns, along with 2,612 combined return yards on kicks and punts in the regular season.

The postseason, though, is where Edelman's true legacy lies, with three Super Bowl rings and an MVP award from Super Bowl LIII.

With 118 career catches in 19 playoff games, Edelman trails only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who caught 151 passes in 29 postseason contests. Edelman is also second to Rice in career playoff receiving yards, with 1,442 yards to Rice's 2,245.

Edelman had a flair for the dramatic, coming up in key situations for the Patriots on numerous occasions and on the biggest stages.

Perhaps the most indelible catch Edelman made in his lengthy Patriots career came in Super Bowl LI, when the Pats famously rallied from a 28-3 second-half deficit for an unforgettable victory against the Atlanta Falcons.

Down 28-20 with 2:28 left, Brady fired across the middle of the field to Edelman, and the Falcons looked to not only break up the pass but also very nearly intercept it.

Instead, the ball caromed around and fell into the arms of a diving Edelman, who controlled the ball for a 23-yard completion.

The Patriots went on to score on the drive and pull off a two-point conversion, evening the score at 28 before scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime.

With Edelman retired and Brady and former Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski enjoying new leases on life with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monday's news served as a reminder of what the Patriots were for two decades and who played a role in all their success

On Tuesday, the focus turned to Edelman's Hall of Fame credentials (or lack thereof) and whether his postseason exploits are enough to outweigh the fact that he averaged fewer than 800 yards per 16 games and never made a Pro Bowl.

As is the case with all sports debates, opinion was split. 

Nick Wright said on "First Things First" that Edelman is not close to being a Hall of Famer, pointing out, among other things, that Edelman never led the league in a major receiving category.

"At no point ever watching them play were you like, 'That guy is a Hall of Famer.'"

Wright's co-host, Kevin Wildes, landed on the other side of the debate, arguing that Edelman doesn't have to have the gaudiest stats in the world, as long as his numbers compare to those of some of the names already in the Hall. 

Edelman's Hall of Fame status is one of those debates that will rage for a while. But Colin Cowherd, an advocate for Edelman's gold jacket, made this case for the legendary Patriot:

"It's not all about having a million receiving yards. Did you matter? Did your team throw to you in the biggest spots? And when I look at Julian Edelman, he was the big-play receiver for a dynasty for a decade."

Compelling. We'll see what happens. 

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