From college quarterback to NFL wide receiver, New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman has had to do his fair share of adapting over the years, having played all three sides of the ball in for his team. Since coming into the league in 2009, Edelman has been elected to the Pro Bowl, won multiple Super Bowls, and even dated supermodel Adriana Lima for a few months.
Edelman hasn’t gotten paid like some of the superstar receivers in the league, but he’s far from broke. Here is a look at how much Edelman is worth now and how he got to that point.
Julian Edelman Net Worth as of 2017: $9 million
How did Julian Edelman get here?
2009
PHILADELPHIA – AUGUST 13: Julian Edelman #11 of the New England Patriots runs back a punt for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles on August 13, 2009 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Edelman was taken in the seventh round of the NFL Draft with the 232nd overall pick. Bill Belichick chose Edelman with no true position in mind for him. He would find his niche at special teams and scored his first touchdown in a preseason game when he returned a punt for 75 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. His base salary was $310,000.
2010
2012
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 11: Julian Edelman #11 of the New England Patriots tackles Roy Helu #29 of the Washington Redskins during the second quarter at FedExField on December 11, 2011 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Edelman’s salary steadily increases each year, along with his role in New England.
2010 saw Edelman on special teams along with the opportunity to get a few snaps at wide receiver. He was relatively quite at receiver up to Week 16, only having four receptions. This is when players like Wes Welker, Deion Branch and Aaron Hernandez were all ruled inactive in Week 17. Edelman got his chance and had 3 receptions for 72 yards, along with a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown. He accumulated $395,000. In 2011, he was asked to play snaps at defensive back because of the amount of injuries to New England’s secondary. This trend continued all the way until the AFC title game against the Baltimore Ravens and ultimately made him a $525,000 salary. The next year, Edelman dealt with the injury bug at different points of the season which held him out of a few games, but still caught 21 balls at receiver and returned 20 kickoff/punt returns for 301 yards while also reeling in $615,000.
2013
FOXBORO, MA – NOVEMBER 24: Wide receiver Julian Edelman #11 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos during a game at Gillette Stadium on November 24, 2013 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
Edelman came off his first summer as a free agent and decided to return to New England on a one-year deal. Looking for a big contract in the following offseason, he would have his best season to date by playing in all 16 games at receiver and catching 105 receptions for 1,056 yards. This one-year deal was worth $715,000.
2014
2016
HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Julian Edelman #11 of the New England Patriots makes a 23 yard catch in the fourth quarter against Ricardo Allen #37, Robert Alford #23 and Keanu Neal #22 of the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Edelman signed a four-year deal in the offseason for $17 million. The year saw a lot of first-time accomplishments for him. It was his first year eclipsing the million dollar plateau in base salary, first pro-bowl selection, and first championship after scoring the game-winning touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 49. In 2015, Edelman played well until injuring his foot in week 10 against the New York Giants and was sidelined until the playoffs. Although he returned, he wasn’t the same and neither were the Patriots, losing in the AFC Title game against the Denver Broncos.
In 2016, Edelman collected his second Super Bowl ring and the most money on his salary to date at $2.5 million, not to mention having one of the most improbable catches of all time in a historic comeback in Super Bowl 51. Edelman is entering the last year of his deal in 2017 and could be in for a big payday come next offseason.
