When Wes Welker got emotional over $12,000,000 Patriots breakup - "I was still upset about it"
Wes Welker is considered one of the most influential players in NFL history. There had been players like him before, but he popularized the undersized yet agile "slot receiver" that has seen extensive usage in various offensive schemes today.
He had his greatest successes with the New England Patriots, reaching two Super Bowls and five Pro Bowls, breaking multiple records and being named an All-Pro four times in six seasons. But in 2013, he left Foxborough for the Denver Broncos, whose record-breaking offense he would become a key part of en route to a third Super Bowl appearance.
Speaking in 2020 on WEEI's Greg Hill Show, Welker indicated that while he was not always on good terms with then-Patriots coach Bill Belichick, he greatly enjoyed being a Patriot and thus took it hard when the franchise didn't match the Broncos' two-year, $12-million deal for him to join Peyton Manning:
"I was still upset about it. I did want to be there, but there was part of me — I just like enjoying the game. I like having fun, all those things."
There had already been overtures to keep him onboard, and beyond owner Robert Kraft's comment:
Brady had agreed to take a pay cut to lower the Patriots' salary cap number. Tight end Aaron Hernandez was returning after an ankle injury limited him, and he and Rob Gronkowski looked set to resume the "Boston TE Party."
But of course, it did not happen. Three months after Wes Welker's departure, Hernandez was arrested for the murder of semi-pro player Odin Lloyd and cut from the team.
What Wes Welker's time with the Patriots looked like
In that same interview, Wes Welker also reflected on his time with the Patriots, saying:
"I think there were some times where I didn’t really feel that at times for different reasons — the guys that we had in the locker room, the camaraderie that we had was better some years than others ... There’s definitely pressure on that, and all these different things is tough and it’s hard."
About his perception of Belichick, he said:
"Coach Belichick is hard on guys and tries to get the most out of them that he can."
The Broncos and Patriots met in the 2013 AFC Championship Game, with the former winning to reach Super Bowl XLVIII, where they would be routed by the Seahawks. After a divisional round loss in the 2014 playoffs, Wes Welker became a free agent.
He joined the then-St. Louis Rams in the middle of the 2015 season but featured as a backup in all eight his games there before retiring.