Julian Edelman announced his retirement from the NFL, and Tom Brady has an emotional message for him. Brady went to Instagram to share his thoughts on his former teammate hanging up his cleats. Edelman helped Brady and the New England Patriots win three Super Bowls by coming up with big plays during the postseason.
“On the biggest stage and in the biggest moments, you always came through,” Brady wrote in the Instagram post. “I was a witness to so much of the journey and am so proud of you and how you grew from 7th round underdog to an older 7th round underdog. The truth is, you never really grew up! You never lost that chip on your shoulder. You never let anyone define you as a person or player. You have so many teammates that admired your work ethic and will to win, and I am at the top of the list because when I was down and feeling sorry for myself at times, you were right there to pick me up.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
View this post on Instagram
Brady went on to tell Edelman that he’s looking forward to his next career move. “Seeing you become a dad and the changes you made in your life made me so encouraged and happy for you,” Brady stated. “Life is about gratitude and perspective! I am so happy for you and your family. You had an amazing football journey, an amazing life journey in New England, and I have no doubt you will succeed in anything you choose to do next!”
Edelman announced his retirement shortly after the Patriots terminated his contract due to a failed physical. It was reported that the three-time Super Bowl champion wouldn’t be able to play this upcoming season due to a knee injury, which limited him to only playing in six games in 2020. It was the first season he didn’t play with Brady who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last March.
“Nothing in my career has ever come easy and no surprise, this isn’t going to be easy either,” Edelman said in a video posted on his Twitter account. “I’ve always said, ‘I’ll go until the wheels come off.’ And they finally have fallen off. Due to an injury last year, I’ll be making my official announcement of my retirement from football.” Edelman was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round in 2009. In his 12 seasons with the Patriots, Edelman caught 620 passes for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns. He was also named MVP of Super Bowl Llll.
