Bill Belichick Reveals Communication With Julian Edelman About ... Patriots Comeback?
Julian Edelman has been dropping hints about a comeback and leaving the door ajar to end his retirement all offseason.
But now the New England Patriots are apparently joining that dialogue.
Edelman's latest public statements about possibly resuming his NFL career came on last week's Rich Eisen Show, when he said he "probably" could be available for a playoff push in 2022.
“If I had three weeks, three maybe four weeks, start of the season, absolutely not,” Edelman said. “But if there’s a team vying for a playoff run, guy goes down. Could I get ready? I probably could.”
On Monday, Edelman’s former head coach was asked about the receiver who announced his retirement last year. Bill Belichick admitted that he had regular contact with Edelman, but would not comment on his statements about a theoretical comeback.
“I talk to Julian,” Belichick said Monday morning on WEEI. “I talk to him fairly regularly. I don’t know about him talking to Rich Eisen and all that. You’d have to ask Julian about that. I don’t know.”
A former seventh-round draft pick, Edelman spent his entire 12-year career with the Patriots. A three-time Super Bowl winner he became one of the most productive pass catchers in franchise history.
Retirement apparently isn't sitting well with Edelman.
“I miss it more this year than I did last year,” he said. “I miss waking up in August, going to the field and smelling the fresh cut grass, seeing the sprinklers just finished. Seeing our equipment guys setting all the stuff out. The locker room. The fellas. The competition. Now being in my second year out, I can actually miss it because last year it was still ingrained in my head.”
The Patriots were seemingly deep at receiver entering training camp, but recently traded N'Keal Harry, lost rookie Tyquan Thornton to a shoulder injury and last week saw Kendrick Bourne unavailable for the preseason win over the Carolina Panthers.
