Julian Edelman Announces Retirement After 12-Year Patriots Career

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman announced his retirement Monday afternoon, ending his 12-year career.

The three-time Super Bowl champion took to Twitter to post a heartfelt message to Patriots Nation which he captioned "Foxborough Forever." The video can be seen above.

Edelman was drafted by the Pats 232nd overall in the 7th round of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Kent State where he played quarterback during his 4-year collegiate career.

Edelman played 11 games as a rookie and caught 37 passes, but featured prominently on special teams early in his career as a dangerous punt returner - retiring tied for 17th all-time with 11.2 yards-per-return - before establishing himself as one of Tom Brady's favorite targets.

"The Squirrel" as he affectionately became known as caught 620 passes for 6822 yards and 36 touchdowns over the course of his career, though Edelman truly elevated himself to legend status thanks to his postseason exploits.

From his TD pass to Danny Amendola in the 2014 AFC Divisional Round game vs. Baltimore to his fingertip catch in Super Bowl 51 vs. Atlanta to his Super Bowl MVP performance vs. the Rams in the 2018 season, Edelman will go down as one of the most clutch performers in Patriots' history and the NFL.

Edelman retires as the 2nd-leading all-time receiver in playoff history, trailing only his boyhood idol Jerry Rice in receptions and yards.

Edelman was limited to 21 receptions for 315 yards in 2020, with his last-ever game coming in Week 7 vs. San Francisco, with the slot receiver catching a single pass for 13 yards in a 33-6 loss.