Julian Edelman is officially a full season removed from his NFL football career, and he's kept himself busy.
From a role on HBO's flagship football show "Inside the NFL" to a brand new podcast, Edelman hasn't allowed for much free time in retirement. But the former New England Patriots wide receiver has admitted to missing the game he spent 12 seasons playing.
"I miss it more this year than I did last year," Edelman said in an appearance on Rich Eisen's radio show. "I miss waking up in August, going to the field and smelling the fresh-cut grass, seeing the sprinklers just finished. Seeing our equipment guys just finishing setting all the stuff out. The locker room. The fellas. The competition.
"Now, being in my second year out, I can actually miss it because last year it was still ingrained in my head. That last year was rough. Football is not fun when you're bruised -- when you feel like (expletive)."
Edelman hasn't been shy about teasing Patriots fans about a possible comeback, becoming a masterful troll over the last year-plus. He couldn't seem to help himself on Tuesday.
Eisen asked plain and simple. "Could Julian Edelman make a comeback if Tampa or New England called?"
"I'll tell you right now, if I had three weeks, three maybe four weeks -- beginning of the season, absolutely not. But if there's a team vying for a playoff run, guy goes down. Could I get ready? I probably could. ... You can never say never."
Let the speculation begin.
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