Julian Edelman, New England Patriots. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
So the New England Patriots won’t even be playing in the AFC Divisional round this year? What is their top wide receiver Julian Edelman’s contract status?
And just like that, the New England Patriots dynasty has come to an end. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Patriots won’t be playing in an AFC Championship game. Heck, they won’t even be playing in the AFC Divisional round. That’s because they lost at home as the No. 3 seed to the No. 6-seeded Tennessee Titans on Wild Card Weekend Saturday night, 20-13.
We all know that 42-year-old starting quarterback Tom Brady will be hitting his unrestricted free agency this offseason. He says he still wants to play until he’s 45-years-old, but have we seen the last of him in a Patriots uniform. With Rob Gronkowski retiring after Super Bowl LIII last year, what’s next for Brady’s top New England receiver Julian Edelman? What’s his contract status?
According to Spotrac, Edelman recently signed a two-year extension with the Patriots for $15.5 million that will run through the 2021 NFL season. The Patriots have a potential out after the 2020 NFL season with a dead-cap hit of $7.16 million. If New England were to let go of him during the 2021 NFL season, it would be a $6.7 million dead cap hit. He’ll be 35 years old in 2021.
Overall, it’s not a ton of money for a receiver the caliber of Edelman, but we do have to wonder if he’s falling apart physically in his age-33 season. Edelman may have had a rushing touchdown vs. the Titans on Saturday night, but he only had five touches for 42 yards in a win-or-go-home game for the Patriots. Naturally, the Patriots went home after that underwhelming showing.
Unlike Brady, no, Edelman will not be a free agent this spring, so expect him to be back with the Patriots unless owner Robert Kraft wants to eat over $7 million in dead cap to part ways with Brady’s favorite aging receiving target. However, the Patriots may have to face the truth at some point in that Edelman isn’t close to what he once was. Letting him go early will prove costly.