Julian Edelman reacts to Mac Jones' dance in Pro Bowl

In retirement, it seems Julian Edelman has become one of the de facto social media specialists of the New England Patriots. While not officially representing the team, his tweets have served to drum up more buzz than most other Patriots players.

His latest reaction to Mac Jones in the Pro Bowl serves as another example of this. In the game, Jones was whistled down by the referees, but the quarterback didn't take "no" for an answer.

He continued to sprint halfway down the field and into the end zone. Before reaching the goal line, Jones broke out into a dance that sent the crowd into a frenzy, breaking character as a quiet, hard-working Belichickian reincarnation of Tom Brady.

Julian Edelman on the Gritty Griddy

Julian Edelman called attention to this in his response to a video of the Tweet posted by the official page of the New England Patriots. His post was short but said a lot, simply saying the dance was a "different kind of New England Gritty."

Kansas City Chiefs v New England Patriots

Of course, Edelman is referring to the name of the dance, the "Griddy" which has been making the rounds in the NFL. Another notable sighting of the dance was with Adam Schefter, who injured himself while attempting it.

One has to wonder whether the dance has become a bit of a flex for the younger generation. While much of the older generation generally has the better branded cars, bigger houses, and larger fan bases, the younger generation can pull off certain dance moves without fear of injury.

Edelman's post made a pun with the words "griddy" and "gritty." "Griddy" was the name of the dance while "gritty," refers to the hard-nosed grind that made the Patriots world-famous. The wide receiver is well versed in the latter.

He was drafted in the seventh-round of the NFL Draft in 2009, according to Pro Football Reference. From 2009 to 2012, he was almost a complete unknown. Between 2009 and 2012, the wide receiver earned around 650 total receiving yards. However, from 2013 until today, his career found a new gear.

In 2013 and 2014, he earned about 1000 yards in each season and from 2015 onward, became one of the faces of the franchise, playing in 19 playoff games with Tom Brady before calling it quits after an injury-laden 2020 season. He may not be physically on the field, but one could call this post an indication of Edelman's mental presence.