Free agent wide receiver Wes Welker is 34-years-old and is still looking for one more opportunity in the NFL before he eventually calls it quits.
Discussing his decision to move on from the New England Patriots prior to the 2013 season due to a contract dispute, Welker was asked if it was difficult to make the transition to the Denver Broncos where he spent his last two seasons.
“I think at first it was hard, but it was what it was,” he said, via CSNNE.com. “That’s the way life goes sometimes. You just roll with it. It was hard to make that move, but I really enjoyed my time in Denver. I really enjoyed seeing that perspective of it, just being with that organization. It was tough, but I have no regrets about it.”
Welker definitely hit a decline when he signed on with Denver. Over the course of his two-year tenure, Welker missed five games due to concussions and had to serve an NFL-mandated two-game suspension for his alleged use of PEDs in 2014.
He recorded just 122 receptions for 1,242 yards and 12 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Broncos. This was a far cry from producing 7,459 receiving yards and 50 touchdowns over the course of his six previous seasons in New England.
Still claiming there is gas left in the tank, Welker won’t rule out a return to the Patriots:
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” he told 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, (h/t The Boston Herald). “It’s a great organization, obviously, and a great team. It wouldn’t be the worst situation in the world. At times you’re sitting there and thinking, ‘Well maybe I should (retire).’ I think it’s just people kind of (pressuring you), but the more you think about it, and you’re away from it, I’m not ready to (retire). I still feel good. I still feel like I have some really good football left in me. I’ve always said (I’ll play) until the wheels fall off.”
If the Patriots did sign the veteran for another season or two, he would surely play second fiddle to slot receiver Julian Edelman. Since assuming Welker’s role, Edelman has totaled 197 catches for over 2,000 yards in two seasons.
In hindsight, there has to be a piece of Welker that wonders if he would still have a job had he compromised during his contract negotiations with New England two years ago. If the receiver had done this, he would at least be able to retire with a Super Bowl ring on his finger.
Photo: USA Today Sports