Is Julian Edelman Retired?

There is a saying that it’s never too late to take up something new in life. But doing this in the world of professional sports is probably one of the most challenging and difficult paths to take just because of time or lack of time one has. A professional athlete if he remains healthy and lucky can perhaps get close to fifteen years, and too if you are good enough to remain at the top of the game for so long.

Therefore, the majority of the NFL athletes who have made it big in the league have been playing a certain position since their time in high school and college. They have spent years training and learning and honing their skills to perfection for that specific position on the field. But, when someone completely changes his role to get into the professional league it takes a lot of guts, determination, and effort to say the least. And this is exactly what Julian Edelman did.

When did Julian Edelman retire

Julian Edelman decided to retire from the game in April 2021. His decision came after a 12-year career in which his body had taken a lot of damage. Towards the latter part of his career, Edelman suffered chronic knee problems that would hamper his overall ability to play the game on his terms.

Furthermore, by 2020, the former Patriot said that he was feeling pain all the time. It would take him almost four to five days after a game to be able to walk pain-free again. At the end of October 2020, Edelman underwent a minor knee surgery which ended his season prematurely. His last game came against the San Francisco 49ers on October 25, 2020.

How Julian Edelman became a receiver

While playing football at high school and college level, Edelman was actually playing as a quarterback. However, he realized after his college career that he didn’t have the required skills or talent to make it as a quarterback at the highest level of the game. Additionally, his height was also a downside for a quarterback. But, Edelman persisted, made the roster as a special teams player and eventually into a receiver.

The former Patriots receiver first started training camp sessions in his rookie year returning punts. While training and gaining knowledge from wherever he could, Edelman had the dream of playing as a receiver one day. The path was not easy as the Patriots already had Randy Moss and Wes Welker, two highly accomplished receivers. But Edelman would learn from them, he would ensure he did everything Tom Brady asked him to do.

Earning the trust of head coach Bill Belichick early on would still not guarantee him much playing time in his first four seasons with the storied franchise as Brady still wasn’t convinced. So whenever the offseason came, he would be close by in case Brady ever wanted to practice with him. Still finding himself with mediocre time on the offense, Edelman would earn his roster spot each year by playing whatever position was required. Returning kicks was one role he was tasked with for the major part of his career. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he was even handed the job of a defensive back when the Patriots ran into injury woes.

By 2013, his fifth year in the league, Edelman started earning the trust of Brady as well and from then onwards, he would receive many more chances each year as a receiver. Although his numbers and overall play in the regular season aren’t all that great, he has made some very useful contributions in the postseason. The most crucial one was in Super Bowl LIII when he was named the MVP of the game.