Danny Kanell: Julian Edelman Is Not Close to Being a Hall of Famer

Julian Edelman has had his contract terminated by the New England Patriots and announced his retirement today. Immediately the debate began: is Julian Edelman a Hall of Famer? Honestly, it’s an open question, but CBS Sports’ Danny Kanell was emphatic. He claims there is no way Edelman is worthy of enshrinement.

Here’s what he had to say:

While Edelman’s regular season stats likely don’t put him in Hall of Fame territory, he is one of the most accomplished postseason players ever. He has the second-most receiving yards in NFL playoff history, he won three Super Bowls and was MVP of Super Bowl LIII. He racked up 118 postseason receptions, 1,442 receiving yards and five touchdowns. In the regular season, Edelman had 620 career receptions for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns.

I don’t think Edelman has the numbers to get in, but if postseason stats don’t count for a lot, Eli Manning probably wouldn’t be considered likely to get in either. Without Manning’s two Super Bowl runs, his stats aren’t worthy of enshrinement.

We’ll see if Edelman gets close when his time comes. If he does, he might get in on reputation and how incredibly clutch he was for years. Either way, he had a brilliant career. Rising from a seventh-round pick to a key piece of the Patriots’ dynasty is quite an accomplishment.