Julian Edelman plays coy on NFL retirement rumors

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Julian Edelman has been around long enough to know how to dodge a question.

In this case, the sticky subject was whether the New England Patriots wide receiver will retire this offseason after missing the last 10 games of the 2020 season due to a knee injury.

Here's the exchange Edelman had with Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" on their latest podcast:

PMT: Can we get you to reconsider your retirement from football?

Edelman: You guys are nuts. What are you talking about?

PMT: We don’t want you to retire!

Edelman: What are you talking about?

PMT: You’re not retiring, correct?

Edelman: We’re being a dad right now and we’re sitting back and we’re training, getting our body ready for the next year. It’s a time to get away from football right now, this long, crazy year.

That's a solid effort from the PMT crew to try to get a definitive answer from Edelman on whether he'll play in 2021. The 34-year-old also was asked if he'll follow in the footsteps of Philip Rivers, who announced his retirement this week.

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"I don’t know, we’re not there yet," Edelman said. "Right now, it’s a time ... This whole year was so jacked up. It was so long, I just need to decompress for a little bit.

"I’m out in L.A. right now, taking my kid to school and picking her up, doing the kind of things you don’t get to do during the season, and I’m enjoying that right now."

Edelman's nostalgic tweet earlier this month fanned the flames of his retirement rumors, and if there was ever a time for the 11-year veteran to walk away, it's now. Edelman caught just 21 balls from Cam Newton in 2020 and doesn't know who will be throwing to him in 2021, but whoever it is will be a significant downgrade from Tom Brady.

So, it sounds like Edelman will take some time to ponder his future -- and is leaving all options on the table.

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