Is Edelman a HOF Wide Receiver?

Throughout the Patriots’ 20 years of dominance over the NFL, they have been lucky to have several great slot receivers who played a crucial role in their championship bids. These are players the likes of Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Wes Welker, but most of all Julian Edelman. Over the past few years, the question if Edelman has earned himself a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame has come to fruition. A highly debated topic in the sports world, as it is very rare the hall of fame sees a player with considerably average numbers in their regular season career, but there are still several reasons why when Edelman throws in the towel on his career, he could have earned himself a gold jacket.

Although Edelman’s regular season stats throughout his career do not stand out, Edelman’s playoff stats are what often puts him in the hall of fame conversation. Edelman’s playoff records have been preceded only by legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice, who is considered by most the greatest wideout of all time. Going into his 11th season, Edelman has appeared in 19 playoff games. In those appearances he has been able to rack up 118 receptions and 1,442 yards, both second in the record books behind Rice. With that being said, Edelman has competed in 10 less playoff games than Rice. Barring the Patriots outlook on the future, if Edelman does find a way to compete in 10 more playoff games, it is very possible he could find himself jumping ahead of Rice in the record books.

Despite Edelman’s playoff success being the focal point of his hall of fame bid, his regular season statistics should not be overlooked. In his 10 years in the league, Edelman has found himself a starter for 10 or more games in 5 of those seasons. In 3 of those seasons he was able to rack up over 1,000 receiving yards. And in 4 of those 5 seasons he was able to reach at least 90 receptions, including 2 seasons with 100+ receptions. These numbers are not necessarily overwhelming, but are definitely great compliments to the receiver’s other arguments to potentially be inducted into the hall of fame.

Julian Edelman’s accolades in his career are likely what could make or break him in his push for the hall of fame. Due to his playoff success, he has been able to win three Super Bowls in five appearances with New England. But Edelman has never been selected to an All Pro team, or even elected to a Pro Bowl. Those are not adequate for a hall of fame bid. Although his winning could possibly outweigh his lack of regular season acclaim, it will be interesting to see how his fate is determined when the sun has set on his career. New England fans hope they will have many more memorable years with watching Edelman, but what he does in those years could be very important, especially now missing Tom Brady, if he has his eyes on Canton.

Article by Travis Dean