Steve Smith Sr. reveals he almost got traded to Patriots in 2013 before deal fell through
In Week 1 of the 2013 season, New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola suffered a torn adductor longus tendon in his groin and was set to be sidelined for a while, prompting the team to hunt for a slot receiver. They decided to chase Carolina Panthers star Steve Smith Sr. and had a deal in place to land him. However, it didn't go through.
During November 20's episode of the "Games With Names" podcast with Julian Edelman, the Hall of Fame class of 2025 semifinalist revealed that he assumed he was moving to New England.
He said (0:18):
"My agent worked out a trade to go to New England. Yeah, and Dave Gettleman was the general manager. He gave me permission to talk to the San Francisco 49ers. But my agent had worked out a deal for me to go up there. That year, former teammate of mine... Damian Lewis... already had gave me information on where to stay."
However, the Panthers refused to trade him to the Patriots and instead told him they'd be willing to trade him to the San Francisco 49ers. However, Smith wasn't keen on moving 2,500 miles across the country:
"[The trade to Patriots] didn't go through because they gave me permission to talk to San Francisco 49ers. And at that time, I did not want to go to the San Francisco 49ers. My wife was pregnant with Deuce [Steve Smith Jr.], our youngest [kid], and I was trying to find all that."
Steve Smith Sr.'s loss was Julian Edelman's gain
With the deal for Steve Smith Sr. falling through and Danny Amendola out, the Patriots turned to Julian Edelman. The wide receiver was primarily a specials team player and had caught only 69 passes for 714 receiving yards and four touchdowns in his first four years with the franchise.
He was expected to leave the team in the 2014 offseason, but things changed after the Patriots continued to lose receivers. Explaining why he was thrust into the spotlight in the 2013 season, Edelman said:
"You know how I got my opportunity? Gronk had to break his back. Danny [Amendola] had to tear both his groins and one of our teammates [Aaron Hernandez] had to go on a killing spree." [From 2:16]
Once he became the starter, he established himself as quarterback Tom Brady's go-to option in the passing game. He finished the 2013 campaign with 101 catches for 1,056 receiving yards and six touchdowns. It earned him a four-year, $17 million contract extension.
In the years that followed, Edelman grew in stature in New England and became a franchise icon. The diminutive wide receiver played a pivotal role in the Patriots' Super Bowl wins in 2015, 2017, and 2019.
He was named the Super Bowl MVP for his incredible performance against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53 and etched his name in Patriots lore as one of the greatest wide receivers in franchise history.