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NFL

Fans vote ex-WR Edelman into Pats Hall of Fame

  • Mike ReissMay 5, 2025, 11:29 AM ET

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      Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Julian Edelman was voted by fans as a 2025 inductee into the Patriots Hall of Fame, the team announced Monday.

Edelman spent his entire 12-year career with the Patriots, joining the franchise as a seventh-round pick out of Kent State in 2009 and becoming a key cog in three Super Bowl championship teams after switching from college quarterback to NFL wide receiver.

This was Edelman’s first year of eligibility for the Patriots Hall of Fame, which requires a player to be retired for at least four seasons. A Patriots Hall of Fame committee composed of media members, former players and coaches, and team-based media staffers named him a finalist alongside kicker Adam Vinatieri (1996-2005) and offensive lineman Logan Mankins (2005-13).

Of the finalists chosen by the Patriots Hall of Fame committee, a fan vote over multiple weeks then determines one inductee since the process was instituted in 2007.

“Julian Edelman is one of the great success stories in our franchise’s history,” owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “There aren’t many players who earn an NFL roster spot at a position they have never played before. Julian not only did that as a seventh-round draft selection, but he finished his career with the second-most receptions in franchise history [620] and as a three-time Super Bowl champion, including his last as Super Bowl MVP.

“No one was more committed to his craft and honing his skills than Jules. His explosiveness off the line, quickness in his cuts and elusiveness after the catch made him one of the hardest players to defend. His clutch catches in our biggest games and overall toughness made him a fan favorite.”

Edelman posted to X Monday that he was “honored and grateful.” The post included a video of him calling his father to share the news.

Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick had the foresight to project that Edelman — who finished his Kent State career with 4,997 passing yards and 2,664 rushing yards over 31 games — could transition to receiver and punt returner in the NFL. That led the Patriots to select him with pick No. 232 of the 256-pick draft in 2009.

Edelman’s transition wasn’t seamless, however. In his first training camp, he struggled to catch punts and was booed by fans at one point.

Edelman was more of a niche player in his first four seasons in the NFL — totaling 69 receptions for 714 yards and four touchdowns — before breaking through in 2013 with a 105-catch, 1,056-yard season as quarterback Tom Brady’s go-to target.

His career took off from there, with arguably his greatest play coming in the team’s 34-28 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI with a sensational tipped-ball diving catch late in the fourth quarter.

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The play reflected how Edelman, as Kraft noted, was one of the Patriots’ most clutch performers. He ranks third in NFL history with 118 postseason receptions, behind Travis Kelce (178) and Jerry Rice (151). His 1,442 postseason receiving yards also ranks third all-time, behind Rice (2,245) and Kelce (2,078).

In the Patriots’ 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII, he was named MVP after finishing with 10 receptions for 141 yards.

While Edelman is widely viewed as worthy of the Patriots Hall of Fame honor, his selection by fans over Vinatieri — who was also in his first year of eligibility after the 2024 voting process was tabled to induct Brady — is likely to spark debate on how much influence fans should have in selecting the inductee.

Like Edelman, Vinatieri was part of three Super Bowl championship teams in New England (2001, 2003, 2004) and his “Snow Bowl” kick in a divisional-round win over the Raiders on Jan. 19, 2002, is considered by some to be the greatest kick in NFL history — a play many view as the official beginning of what led to the Patriots’ dynastic run that included six Super Bowls.

Vinatieri, who went on to play for the Indianapolis Colts (2006-19) when the Patriots didn’t offer him a comparable long-term contract after using the franchise tag on him in successive years, was also a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year in his first year of eligibility.

Edelman will be joined by former coach Bill Parcells (1993-96) as this year’s inductees into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Kraft used his standing as owner to put Parcells into the Hall of Fame as a contributor after he had been voted a finalist five times.

NFL

Saquon Barkley arrives in style at 2025 Met Gala

The 2025 Met Gala has officially kicked off in New York City, and some of the biggest sports stars are in attendance.

To the theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” Lewis Hamilton, Saquon Barkley and Breanna Stewart have already put their most fashionable feet forward.

Athletes have made headlines at the annual fundraising event in previous years, and this year’s gala features a strong presence behind the scenes. LeBron James (who will not be in attendance) is an honorary chair, Hamilton is a co-chair and Angel Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens are on the host committee.

Here are the best looks and moments from this year’s Met Gala.

Lewis Hamilton arrives

Theo Wargo/FilmMagic

Saquon Barkley is in attendance

Breanna Stewart arrives

Former NBA All-Star Norm Nixon is in the house

Venus Williams is in attendance

Simone Biles attends her second Met

Jonathan Owens arrives in style

NFL

Packers pick up Wyatt's option, decline Walker's

  • Rob DemovskyMay 1, 2025, 03:05 PM ET

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      Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers picked up the fifth-year option on one of their 2022 first-round picks and declined the other, but they would like for both players to be around beyond this season.

The Packers ensured they will have defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, the 28th pick, through the 2026 season by exercising his option. While they declined the fifth-year option on linebacker Quay Walker, the 22nd pick, they would like to work out a contract extension before he would become a free agent next offseason.

The deadline to exercise fifth-year options for 2022 first-round picks is Thursday. Wyatt’s salary for 2026 will be $12.938 million, according to NFL Players Association salary data. It became fully guaranteed once it was exercised. The fifth-year option on Walker would have been $14.751 million. Instead, the Packers hope to sign him to an extension perhaps even before the start of this coming season.

Quay Walker, who has led the Packers in tackles in each of his first three seasons, had his fifth-year option declined Thursday. The Packers, however, still hope to sign him to an extension. Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire

Earlier this offseason, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst indicated that both players would be in the team’s plans beyond this season.

“For both those guys, whatever mechanism we use, we’d like to keep those guys around for ’26 and beyond,” Gutekunst said late last month. “So whether that’s through doing the fifth-year option on these guys or extending them one way or the other, we’re planning to do that, we’d like to do that.”

Walker became an immediate starter as a rookie and has led the Packers in tackles in each of his first three seasons, recording more than 100 in each year. However, he missed four games last season (one because of a concussion and three with an ankle injury). In 2023, he missed three games due to injury.

“Quay continued to make a leap, and another guy who had struggled through injuries at the end of the year, but he was really impactful for us this year,” Gutekunst said. “Continues to be a great leader for us. Certainly think we would love to have him around here for longer than just a couple years. He’s that kind of guy.”

Wyatt has not been a regular starter but likely will see an increased role this season after the departure of defensive tackle T.J. Slaton in free agency. Even in a part-time role, Wyatt ranked second on the team in sacks last season with five and posted a career-high nine tackles for loss. He has 12 total sacks in his first three seasons.

“[Wyatt] was probably our most consistent pass rusher from the inside this year,” Gutekunst said. “Both [Walker and Wyatt] dealt with some injuries and was really proud of how they attacked those and played through some things this year. But I think both those guys had their best years as pros so far.”

NFL

Source: Bills adding WR Moore on 1-year deal

Apr 30, 2025, 05:41 PM ET

The Buffalo Bills are signing veteran wide receiver Elijah Moore to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

Moore, 25, caught a career-high 61 passes for 538 yards and one touchdown last season for the Cleveland Browns.

Moore can play multiple receiver spots and joins a group in Buffalo that includes Joshua Palmer and Laviska Shenault Jr., who were added in free agency; 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman; Khalil Shakir, who was signed to a four-year contract extension this offseason; and last year’s free agent addition, Curtis Samuel.

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The Bills also picked Kaden Prather out of Maryland in the seventh round Saturday, their only selection at wide receiver in the draft.

Moore visited the Bills on Monday, the same day general manager Brandon Beane shared his frustration on WGR550, a local radio station, concerning the response to the team not taking a wide receiver higher in the draft.

“[Moore’s] a guy we’ve spoken to a few times leading up to the draft, and we just kind of put a pin in it, just like we did several other positions,” Beane said during the appearance. “… If we took a guy in the first or second round, he’s probably not too interested. But we didn’t, and so, you know, we picked up those conversations over the weekend.”

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Moore received the unrestricted free agent tender from Cleveland on Tuesday, meaning he will count against the compensatory pick formula for the 2026 NFL draft. If he didn’t sign with another team before July 22, the Browns would have held his exclusive negotiating rights. The tender is worth $3.428 million.

Moore joined the Browns in March 2023 after they traded a second-round pick to the New York Jets, who sent the receiver and a third-round pick to Cleveland.

During his two years with the Browns, Moore caught 120 passes for 1,178 yards and three touchdowns.

A second-round pick (No. 34) of the Jets in the 2021 NFL draft, Moore played college football at Ole Miss. In four seasons, Moore has caught 200 passes for 2,162 yards and nine touchdowns.

ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg and Daniel Oyefusi contributed to this report.

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