Could Anthony Edwards have played in the NFL? #1 overall pick's football career revisited

From an impressive showing at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Anthony Edwards has continued establishing himself as one of the best young players in the league today. In the five games he has played this season, Edwards has averaged 26.2 points (50.0% shooting, including 53.6% from 3-point range), 6.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

Edwards' scoring average speaks for itself, but his shooting efficiency has been incredible as he has constantly improved since arriving in the league.

Despite being in his fourth NBA season, there was a time when the Minnesota Timberwolves star was playing football before picking up a basketball. With that said, could Edwards have played in the NFL? According to an interview with SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell, the NBA all-star mentioned how he could have played in a different professional league.

"I could have been a professional football player," Edwards said, "I was perfect. I was the No. 1 running back in the country at 9 or 10. I stopped playing because I saw my brothers playing basketball. I thought it looked more fun."

Edwards remembered how he was considered the No. 1 running back in the country and could have continued toward making it in the NFL until he saw his brothers playing basketball and decided to try the sport out for himself.

Moreover, Edwards talked about where his love and passion for basketball started, as per the same SB Nation interview.

"In the backyard of my grandma's house," Edwards said, "In the summertime, [my brothers and I] had nothing else to do unless we were going to summer camp. We just used to go there and play. I never used to win, so I just got fed up with it. I'm like, one day, I will beat them."

It was a summertime experience playing basketball in the backyard of Edwards' house with his brothers and would usually involve a lot of losing. Be that as it may, basketball has a lot of patience associated with it as growth follows through, which the Timberwolves guard was able to unlock when he continued to get better at playing the sport.

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NFL legend Tom Brady reacts to Anthony Edwards' football clip

Regarding NBA players showcasing their skill set in playing football, Edwards has become one of those players in a video clip he uploaded via X.

The video clip gained the attention of NFL legend Tom Brady, who commented that the Timberwolves star is "playing the wrong sport" despite having a significant contract with his team.

In the clip, Edwards threw some incredible deep passes off the catch with accuracy. He did it alongside some of his Timberwolves teammates including Jaden McDaniels.

In the 2020 NBA draft, Edwards was selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. During the recent offseason, he agreed to sign a five-year, $260 million maximum contract extension and remains one of the primary faces of the franchise, as per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.