Edelman won't end retirement despite Brady tease: 'I'm a 1-team guy'

Julian Edelman is staying retired, and not even Tom Brady can change his mind.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback fueled speculation earlier in May that Edelman could return to the NFL. Brady joked that his former teammate didn't retire and was just "too scared" to tell New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick that he wanted to join the Bucs.

But Edelman reiterated Thursday that he doesn't intend to play with Brady and Rob Gronkowski in Tampa Bay or anywhere else.

"I'm a one-team guy," Edelman said on "The Michael Irvin Podcast," according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

The wide receiver's health issues would seemingly prohibit a return to the NFL even if he wanted to continue his career outside of New England.

"My knees (are) breaking down," said Edelman. "I got everything I wanted. I got three rings, played in a magical dynasty, with an unbelievable franchise, coach, best quarterback of all time. Like, yo, I'm not a greedy guy. I played to win. I played to compete. I don't need anything else to prove. I'm good with what I did, I left it all out on the field."

Edelman, who turns 35 in June, played just six games in 2020 due to a knee injury. He announced his retirement in April after 12 seasons with the Patriots.

While Edelman's regular-season stats don't stand out when compared to the greats of his generation, the veteran ranks second in postseason receiving yards behind Jerry Rice. He was also named Super Bowl LIII MVP.

Some have speculated that Edelman could get Hall of Fame consideration based on his playoff production and being part of the defining dynasty of the last 20 years.

However, Edelman isn't interested in pushing his candidacy for a gold jacket.

"I'm not here to make a case, man. I didn't play the game to be in the Hall," said Edelman. "It's just an honor to even be mentioned."

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