Patriots’ Hero Julian Edelman Lands TV Job

Three-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman achieved legendary status for his work on the field with the New England Patriots. Now, he is hoping to enhance his brand in front of the camera.

New England Patriots legend Julian Edelman will once again be turning his attention to the gridiron for the upcoming NFL Season. 

While a return to the field is unfortunately not in the cards for him, Edelman will be joining “Fox NFL Kickoff,” as confirmed on Thursday by the Associated Press. He will join Charissa Thompson, Charles Woodson, Michael Vick and Peter Schrager on the weekly program which airs at 11 a.m ET on Sundays. 

The three-time Super Bowl champion was chosen to replace former analyst Sean Payton, who let the show to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos.  Edelman's quick wit and engaging personality has served him well on the television screen, thus far, having hosted “Inside the NFL” the past two seasons after retiring from the league following the 2020 season.

“It’s not just the fact that he’s done TV, it’s that he’s taken such an interest, even toward the end of his playing career," said Brad Zager, Fox Sports executive producer and president of production & operations. "He’s somebody that’s so engaging when you talk to him in person, or when you see the clips of him doing TV or doing these podcasts as he’s done. He’s also gained the credibility of fans with the team [Patriots] that he was on.”

Originally drafted by New England in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Edelman converted to the wide receiver position after having played quarterback both at the College of San Mateo and at Kent State University. He appeared in a total of 157 games (both regular season and postseason) and was never a stranger to the endzone during that time span. In fact, Edelman has played a role in 48 total touchdowns throughout his eleven-year career, including two as a passer and four as a punt returner. He finished his career with 620 regular season catches for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns. However, Edelman’s star shined at its brightest in the postseason. He totaled 118 receptions for 1,442 yards and 5 touchdowns in the playoffs, second on the league’s all-time list behind Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice, who holds the records for both receptions (151) and yards (2,245.) He was named MVP of Super Bowl LIII, while also earning spots on the Patriots All-2010s Team, and All-Dynasty Team. 

Edelman is not the only former Patriot to find a new media home on Fox. Revered quarterback Tom Brady is expected to become the network's top analyst next season while ex tight end Rob Gronkowski has provided analysis for “Fox NFL Sunday."

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