Just over two years ago, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman won their third Super Bowl together with the New England Patriots.
Now, two of them are fresh off a championship with a different organization, and the other is riding off into the sunset.
Edelman on Monday announced his retirement after 12 seasons, all with New England. The Super Bowl LIII MVP delivered the news in an empty Gillette Stadium, where he reflected on his improbable journey to becoming one of the best wide receivers in Patriots history.
The 34-year-old Edelman shared the announcement to his social media channels and in turn, yielded a slew of congratulatory messages from across the sports world. One of which came from Gronkowski, who praised Edelman for his knack for delivering in the clutch while also wishing his former teammate the best moving forward.
"Congrats Jules!" Gronkowski wrote in the comment section of Edelman's Instagram post. "Ultimate competitor and always showed up at the biggest moments bubs!! Keep on thriving and being a beast like you are! Heck of a career!!"
Retirements for both Gronkowski and Brady likely aren't terribly far away. But in the short term, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have as good of a chance as any team to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2021 season.
