Fans of the New England Patriots are quite enamored with their star wide receiver, Julian Edelman. In fact, most (if not, all) would emphatically respond in the affirmative when asked if they would like to see him remain a ‘Patriot for life.’ On Tuesday, both Edelman and the Pats took a major step in turning that hope into a reality.
As first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Edelman and the Patriots have agreed to a two-year contract extension, with the goal of keeping the star wide receiver in a Patriots uniform through the end of his career. For Edelman, the extension and pay raise comes just one day shy of his 33rd birthday on Wednesday.
The Pats wideout has spent his entire career with the team, winning three Super Bowl championships. After missing the entirety of 2017 with a knee injury, Edelman responded with a productive season in 2018. He compiled 74 catches for 850 yards and six touchdowns, despite being suspended for first four games of the regular season, for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. However, it was the postseason in which Edelman shined his brightest. He was named Super Bowl LIII MVP after catching 10 passes for 141 yards in a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
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Following his MVP-performance, it was widely expected that Edelman would be in line for both an extension and pay raise. He was entering the final year of a two-year, $11 million extension, which he signed with New England in June 2017. As part of the new agreement, which goes through the 2021 season, Edelman will receive $12 million guaranteed, plus an $8 million signing bonus, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
Edelman, a 2009 seventh-round pick, has posted career totals of 499 catches for 5,390 yards and 30 touchdowns. He has also accumulated 115 catches for 1,412 yards and five scores in the postseason.
As he enters his 10th season, Edelman will remain an integral part of the Patriots offense. Quarterback Tom Brady’s well-known friendship and rapport with Edelman is undoubtedly one of the key components of the success of the New England offense. Edelman will continue to anchor the Patriots corps of pass catchers, which will likely include new additions, such as veteran Demaryius Thomas and Arizona State rookie N’Keal Harry.
–Mike D’Abate is a Managing Editor and National Columnist for Full Press Coverage Sports Media. He covers the New England Patriots and provides NFL editorial content. Follow him on Twitter @mdabateFPC
