Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who spent 12 seasons with the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL). He played quarterback at Kent State before being drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft as a return specialist and wide receiver.
In 2013, Edelman was became the Patriots’ primary offensive starter, and he remained a key member of the receiving corps until his retirement following the 2020 season.
Julian Edelman Early Life
Angela and Frank Edelman, a mechanic who operates an A-1 Auto Tech, raised Edelman in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb of Redwood City, California. Jason and Nicole are his two siblings. Edelman was reared as a Christian but has had a “Jewish awakening,” as he puts it.
In a December 2013 NFL Network interview, Edelman revealed that he is Jewish and celebrates Hanukkah. His mother was born in the Canadian city of Kitchener to German parents who had previously resided in Belgium.
Edelman attended Woodside High School in Woodside, California, where he was a varsity football and baseball player.
- As a freshman, he was exceedingly little, weighing less than 100 pounds (45 kg) before his growth surge.
- He was a quarterback for his high school team, leading the Wildcats to a 13–0 record as a senior in 2004.
- Edelman threw for 2,237 yards and 29 touchdowns in high school and ran for 964 yards and 13 scores.
Julian Edelman College Career
Julian Edelman attended the College of San Mateo for one year before transferring to Kent State University, where he spent three years under coach Doug Martin. From San Mateo, Kent State was the only FBS school to offer Edelman a scholarship.
Edelman led the Golden Flashes to a 54.5 percent completion rate on 385 of 706 throws for 4,997 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions. He rushed for 2,483 yards on 502 carries (4.9 yards per carry) and 22 touchdowns as a dual threat quarterback.
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Edelman topped the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in yards per rush as a senior, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
During Edelman’s three years on campus, Kent State went 13-23 (9-15 MAC) and did not play in any bowl games.
Julian Edelman Football Career
Julian Edelman had a fantastic career in the NFL. He was an integral component of the greatest dynasty in the history of the game during his 12 seasons with the New England Patriots. Now that he’s retired at the age of 34, the talk around him has shifted to whether he deserves a bronze bust and a horrible beige jacket someday.
Edelman was one of the NFL’s most productive postseason receivers despite never being selected to the Pro Bowl. He has the Super Bowl records for punt returns and first-half receptions in a single game, and he is second in postseason receiving yards and receptions.
Three-time Super Bowl champion, he led the league in receiving yards in Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl LI, and Super Bowl LIII. In the latter, Edelman was voted MVP after accounting for more than half of his team’s receiving yards.
However, while Edelman was a tremendous wideout on a great team, the cold, hard truth is that he isn’t one of the top wideouts in the game.
Julian Edelman, to put it bluntly, is not a Hall of Famer.
Edelman was awarded MVP of Super Bowl LIII not long ago after hauling in 10 catches for 141 yards against the Los Angeles Rams. He missed ten games in 2020 because to a chronic knee injury after catching 100 passes for 1,117 yards in 2019. With that shaky knee still bothering him months later, he decided to call it a day.
Edelman has 6,822 career receiving yards, which ranks him 156th all-time in the NFL. He is tied for 261st in receiving touchdowns with 36. He was never selected for the Pro Bowl. Not even once.
Edelman finishes his career with 620 receptions, second only to Wes Welker on the Patriots’ all-time receiving list (672). He is fourth on the club in career receiving yards, after only Stanley Morgan (10,352), Rob Gronkowski (7,861), and Welker (6,822). (7,459).
Julian Edelman Notable Achievements
- Super Bowl LIII MVP
- Three-time Super Bowl champion (2014, 2016, 2018)
- Two-time Super Bowl runner-up (2011, 2017)
- Two-time AFC Special Teams Player of the Week
- 2016 Week 17 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
- Second all-time in postseason in receiving yards (1,142 over 19 games)
- Second all-time in postseason in receptions (118 over 19 games)
Julian Edelman Net Worth
Julian Edelman has established himself as one of the top prospects in the National Football League (NFL) after a ten-year career. Julian Edelman has a net worth of around $25 million after blossoming into one of the Patriots’ pillars.
Julian has excelled as a punt returner and wide receiver throughout his professional career. He’s also known for being one of the most productive receivers in the NFL’s postseason. His average pay was $5,500,000 at the time of his retirement.
Julian is currently regarded as having had one of the most successful NFL careers in the last ten years.
Julian Edelman Retired From NFL
Julian Edelman retired from the NFL after 12 seasons, all with the New England Patriots, in the offseason of 2021. However, he had the option of joining at least two other teams, one of which he highly contemplated.
On “Monday Night Football” with Peyton and Eli Manning to wrap up Week 11, the former Super Bowl MVP stated Tom Brady tried to recruit him to the Buccaneers as soon as he moved to Tampa Bay in 2020.
Edelman noted that he came close to joining Eli with the Giants seven years ago, but eventually chose to stay with the Patriots for the rest of his career.
Julian Edelman Life After Retirement
After his retirement, Edelman recorded a series of podcast interviews, including Pardon My Take, in which he reflected on his career and Green Light alongside Chris Long, who was Edelman’s teammate throughout the 2016 season.
He declared shortly after his retirement from the NFL that he would begin a media career, and that he would join the cast of Inside the NFL on Paramount+. There was instant speculation that he would subsequently return to the NFL to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, including a remark by Brady himself; Edelman dismissed the claims, saying that he was “a one-team guy.”
His retirement reignited the discussion about whether he should be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which had erupted following his MVP performance in Super Bowl LIII.
His detractors point to his lack of Pro Bowl nominations and other traditional NFL career numbers.
Supporters point to his participation on three Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams and his position as the all-time leader in postseason receptions and yards.