"The blood was in the water. Guys were going to come after me. I had to get out" - Julian Edelman finally reveals what forced him to retire from NFL

Julian Edelman had himself a tremendous career in the NFL. In a recent interview, the former wide receiver explained why he retired. He retired during the offseason in 2021 after spending his entire 12-year career with the New England Patriots.

Throughout his career, Edelman suffered a number of injuries. These included a foot fracture, a grade three ACL tear in his knee, and a patella sprain in his knee. But this isn't why he retired. The former wideout said that he knew his game was declining and that it played a major role in his decision.

Edelman recently appeared on The Ringer's Ryen Russillo podcast and discussed his decision. Here's what he said about watching himself on film:

"Atrocious. That’s honestly why I retired. When you start looking old -- it’s not even just the games, it’s the practices, the body language. I mean, I wanted to throw up. That’s why I had to retire."

He continued:

"When you’re a younger player – I remember you play a couple guys and they’re in their absolute prime when you’re still trying to figure things out... Then you figure things out and it’s like four or five years later, and that guy that you still are battling who was a badass dude has diminished – that’s blood in the water.”

Edelman added:

"I’m going to embarrass him every time. I’m going to try to light him up, because I remember how hard it was and how he used to embarrass me. The blood was in the water. Guys were going to come after me. I had to get out."

For the 36-year-old, as much as he wants to play again, he understands his standards aren’t up to par.

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Julian Edelman's NFL career

Julian Edelman scores a touchdown at Super Bowl XLIX - New England Patriots v Seattle Seahawks

Julian Edelman racked up 6,822 yards receiving with 620 receptions and 36 touchdowns in the regular season. All with the New England Patriots. Edelman is one of the best receivers in NFL playoff history. He’s second to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in both postseason receiving yards (1,442) and receptions (118). He won three Super Bowls and was the MVP in Super Bowl 53.

In retirement, Julian Edelman is an NFL analyst with Inside the NFL and is still around the game. The drive will always be there, but he can look back on a great career.

We’ll see if decides to try a comeback in the future.

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If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The Ringer's Ryen Russillo Podcast and H/T Sportskeeda.