New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has been officially out of the game for a year, but there is already speculation afoot that he could be getting ready to make his return to the NFL.
Edelman made the decision to retire from football in 2021 after he failed a physical exam due to a pre-existing knee injury he had sustained during the 2020 season, which led to the Patriots ending his contract. However, footage has now emerged on social media showing the onetime MVP training with his former teammate Tom Brady—and looking in great shape as he catches passes from the QB.
“Still the best way to get cardio in,” wrote Brady on Twitter, tagging Edelman in the video. Edelman then shared it, asking his followers: “How’s the knee look?”
Edelman and Brady won three Super Bowls together with the Patriots, before Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 (a move swiftly followed by fellow Patriot, tight end Rob Gronkowski). Brady has since announced his departure from pro football, a decision which he then promptly reversed this month.
Now that Brady—widely considered one of the GOATs of the sport—is getting ready for the new season, this training video has got fans wondering if Edelman might be about to follow in his footsteps and come out of retirement, health allowing. And they’re not the only ones: Gronk has weighed in too, asking whether Edelman is planning on “making a comeback” on Twitter and saying: “I hope so!”
How’s the knee look? ???? https://t.co/LYJ3YAp5Sd
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) March 21, 2022
Similarly to Brady, Gronk also retired from the NFL in 2019, enjoying a stint on The Masked Singer and even toying with the idea of a pro wrestling career, before returning to football when he joined Brady at the Buccaneers. So there’s definitely precedent if Edelman does decide he’s not done with the NFL. The only question that would remain is, would he return to the Patriots, where he played his entire 12-season pro ball career, or join his pals at the Bucs?
