Julian Edelman is the man of the hour but he doesn’t belong to the ages.
FOX Sports’ Nick Wright dismissed the New England Patriots wide receiver’s Pro Football Hall of Fame credentials on Monday’s episode of “First Thing’s First.” Wright offered his opinion on Edelman’s NFL legacy hours after he caught 10 passes for 141 yards to claim MVP honors in the Patriots’ 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
Edelman, 32, now has three Super Bowl titles and sits second in NFL playoff history in receptions and receiving yards behind only Jerry Rice. However, Wright believes his overall production, including the regular season, puts him behind a number of receivers who still are awaiting entry into Canton, Ohio’s hallowed grounds.
“That (Edelman as Hall of Famer conversation) can’t start,” Wright said. “… We can’t become prisoners of the moment. Julian Edelman is not a Hall of Fame finalist caliber guy, much less being floated as ‘he’s working his way into Canton.’
“And Hines Ward doubles up Edelman’s numbers, also has a couple of championships, also has a Super Bowl MVP, and with respect to Hines Ward, I don’t know that he’s going to get in. We can’t do that.
“Congrats, Julian Edelman, nobody believed in you. You printed the T-shirts, and I paid for them, and you were right, but Canton stuff has got to stop.”
Wright also ripped Edelman on Sunday night after Super Bowl LIII, claiming his early season suspension for performance-enhancing drugs tarnishes his considerable accomplishments at the end of the campaign.
Wright’s take on Edelman contrasts with that of Rice, who not only predicted that Edelman would be the secret to the Patriots’ Super Bowl success against the Rams last week in an interview with The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, but also urged Hall of Fame voters to consider inducting slot receivers like Edelman, whose numbers often aren’t as gaudy as their counterparts who operate closer to the sidelines.
