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.
