Julian Edelman’s Top 10 moments with the Patriots

9. Playing defensive back: It’s important to note that in 2011, Edelman wasn’t “Julian Edelman, playoff hero” quite yet. Instead, at this stage of his career, he was a spare part, a widget that could be plugged in any number of ways. And so, with the Patriots pulling guys off the street to play defensive back late that season, they asked him to suit up on defense. Edelman had a pair of quarterback hits and 18 tackles in the regular season, and wound up matched up against Baltimore wide receiver Anquan Boldin in the AFC title game.

8. The Birth of Minitron: The 2009 regular-season finale against the Texans saw Welker go down with a gruesome knee injury, but it provided the rookie with an opportunity to take a sizable step forward. That afternoon, Edelman had 10 catches on 16 targets for 103 yards in the loss in Houston. It would take a few years before he evolved into a consistently elite receiver, but that contest provided a glimpse into what he was capable of accomplishing with Tom Brady.

7. “If it goes, it goes:” The 2015 season was a grind for Edelman, who seemingly battled injuries all year long. He ended up breaking his foot, but returned for the playoff opener against the Chiefs, saying he only knew one speed. “I’m going to go full throttle regardless. If it goes, it goes,’’ Edelman said a few days before the playoff contest against Kansas City. “I’m kind of my worst enemy when it comes to that, trying to over-push things.’’ Edelman ended up catching 10 passes for 100 yards in the 27-20 win over the Chiefs.

6. Killing the Colts: Maybe one of the more underrated games of his career, a November 2012 rout of the Colts saw him finish with a team-high 47 rushing yards, five catches (on seven targets) for 58 yards and a touchdown, and a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown.

5. His Farewell: Edelman wasn’t Edelman in 2020, but he did have one epic game where he was able to wake up the echoes a final time. Week 2 against the Seahawks, he caught eight passes (on 11 targets) for 179 yards in a narrow 35-30 loss. (For the record, his last catch as a member of the Patriots came with two minutes to go in a blowout loss at the hands of the Niners, a 13-yard reception via Jarrett Stidham.)

4. Super Bowl LIII: On a night where offense was mostly an afterthought, Edelman was the most consistent option for Brady and New England. As the Patriots beat the Rams, Edelman finished with 10 catches (on 12 targets) for 141 yards, and the Super Bowl MVP award. After the game, I asked then-teammate Cordarelle Patterson for his thoughts on Edelman: “Nobody can [mess] with Jules in the slot, man. Nobody.” Only he didn’t say mess.

3. His broken-field run at the end of Super Bowl XLIX: The Patriots were down 10 with just under 11 minutes to go in regulation. It was a third and 14, and Brady found Edelman over the middle. The receiver was cracked by Kam Chancellor, but didn’t go down, spinning and picking up extra yardage. He probably should have gone to the blue tent afterward, but under the circumstances, the gotta have it catch remains one of the biggest moments of his career. (This one just barely wins out over the eventual game-winner, a 3-yard touchdown grab from Brady with 2:03 left in regulation.)

2. The Divisional Double Pass: Against the Ravens in the 2014 playoffs, New England was down seven late in the third quarter when Brady hit Edelman with a quick pass to the left, and the former college quarterback found a streaking Amendola down the sideline for the unlikeliest 51-yard playoff touchdown of the year. I covered the Patriots on a regular basis from 2001 until 2018, and I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Gillette Stadium shake quite like it did after the trick play.

1. The fingertip catch against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI: Honestly, for anyone else, that touchdown pass against the Ravens would be No. 1. But two seasons later, he’d put the exclamation point on his career with one of the most memorable catches in Super Bowl history. The Patriots were down eight late in the fourth, and the offense needed to keep their drive alive. A ball down the middle for Edelman ricocheted into the air, but the receiver darted between a pair of Atlanta defenders and scooped the ball inches off the turf. His absolute signature moment. He’s going to be signing that picture for the rest of his life.

Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at cpriceglobe.