Patriots Fans Blasted for 'Wrong' Julian Edelman Decision

New England Patriots fans decided to bestow quite the honor on former wide receiver Julian Edelman this week, electing him to the franchise's Hall of Fame.

One Patriots player is chosen for the distinction every year, and this time around, the fans decided to roll with Edelman, who certainly enjoyed an impressive 12-year run in New England.

However, Greg Dudek of NESN does not agree with the selection. Not that he thinks Edelman does not belong in the Pats' Hall of Fame, but that he thinks another player was more deserving in 2025.

"Edelman certainly is a worthy inductee, but it shouldn’t have been his time to enter the Hall of Fame. The distinction should have gone to Adam Vinatieri, who Edelman beat out on the fan vote along with Logan Mankins," Dudek wrote.

Vinatieri famously spent a decade with the Patriots between 1996 and 2005, establishing himself as the most clutch kicker in NFL history. Dudek thinks faded memories and a young voter base may have had something to do with Edelman being enshrined ahead of Vinatieri.

"Recency bias had to be at play with Edelman helping spearhead the second half of New England’s dynastic run with memorable performances," Dudek added. "Vinatieri’s Patriots legacy was cemented over two decades ago. Perhaps some of what he did got lost with time. There’s a segment of Patriots fans who only know about Vinatieri’s clutch kicks through stories their parents tell."

Dudek makes a great point.

Vinatieri was instrumental in the early stages of New England's dynasty, as he kicked game-winning field goals in each of the team's first two Super Bowl victories during the 2001-02 and 2003-04 campaigns, respectively. And how can we forget the legendary kick he made in the snow against the Oakland Raiders during the AFC Championship Game during the first championship run?

Both Edelman and Vinatieri won three Super Bowls apiece, with Edelman also putting together three 1,000-yard campaigns during his career. But there is definitely a legitimate, if not resounding, argument to be made that Vinatieri is more synonymous with the Patriots' dominance in the 2000s.