Julian Edelman signs two-year contract extension with Pats
Star Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has reportedly agreed to a new, two-year contract extension that will keep him with New England through 2021.
The New England Patriots and Julian Edelman have reportedly agreed to terms on a new two-year contract extension that will keep the sides together through 2021. The deal is expected to include an $8 million signing bonus and $12 million guaranteed.
WR Julian Edelman has signed a two-year extension with the Patriots (through 2021), as first reported by @MikeGarafolo. The extension includes an $8 million signing bonus and $12 million guaranteed, per a source.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) May 21, 2019
Locking Edelman into the Patriots offense for the foreseeable future was only a matter of time. The 32-year-old receiver has remained quarterback Tom Brady’s most trusted target for years now, and has played all 10 seasons of his NFL career in New England.
A former quarterback himself at Kent State, Edelman was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He had the opportunity to learn behind Wes Welker before ascending to the role of primary slot receiver and punt returner himself in 2012. For most of the past five or six years, he has operated as Brady’s security blanket underneath for gotta-have-it completions and down conversions.
Especially with Rob Gronkowski now retired and 2018 contributors like Josh Gordon, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Chris Hogan all either signed elsewhere or suspended indefinitely, it was crucial for the Patriots to ensure Edelman wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
After missing the entire 2017 season with an ACL tear sustained in a preseason game, Edelman was on track to return last year before a surprise PED suspension cost him the first four games of the 2018 regular season. He appealed the suspension but was ultimately denied, and served his sentence before returning in Week 5.
Edelman went on to have the fourth-highest season receiving total of his career (despite missing a quarter of it to suspension), and also tied for the second-highest season touchdown total of his career as well with six.
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He saved his best work for the playoffs, though, where he set new career highs for receptions and receiving yards with 26 and 388, respectively, across three postseason games. The high-water mark came in Super Bowl 53, in which Edelman provided the Patriots’ only consistent offense from wire-to-wire, finishing with 10 catches on 12 targets for 141 yards.
As a reward for his production, Edelman was named the game’s MVP – and now cashes in today with a financial reward as well. It’s well-deserved for a fan favorite and one of the hardest-working, toughest players to ever don a Patriots uniform.