Julian Edelman might want to clear up what he was getting at with his most recent tweet, because Patriots fans are becoming worried.
New England's star receiver Tuesday night reacted to a story about his building a lucrative social media presence without angering the notoriously strict Bill Belichick. For whatever reason, Edelman used the tweet as an opportunity to send a heartfelt message to Bostonians.
"Boston I love you," Edelman wrote. "You’ve weighed on my and my family’s mind for a long time! #gottabelieve."
The tweet, which you can see below, also featured multiple emojis.
Now, we believe that tweet is totally innocuous, especially when you consider the story Edelman was reacting to has absolutely nothing to do with his Patriots future. However, some Patriots fans apparently saw it as a sign that Edelman plans to leave New England this offseason, possibly via retirement.
Check out some of these reactions:
Is it possible this tweet is a precursor to the news that Edelman's days in New England are over? Sure, but we're dubious.
For starters, since undergoing what wound up being a season-ending knee procedure, Edelman has behaved like someone who plans to play in the NFL again. If he was resigned to hanging up his cleats, he likely would not have worked so hard to return to the practice field at the end of the Patriots' playoff-less season.
Plus, using a vague tweet to signal his Patriots exit just doesn't feel like something Edelman would do. Maybe we're wrong, but we doubt it.