Wes Welker needs to shut the door
Wes Welker has played a fine NFL career for a wide receiver. Now it’s time to admit that it has come to an end.
For some odd reason, Welker does not seem willing to acknowledge it.
When he was asked about the prospect of his retirement on the Joe Rose radio show in Miami, Welker said that he’s leaning that way but he has not yet shut the door:
"I'm more on the side of retirement than I am on playing, but I haven't shut the door," Wes Welker told @JoeRoseShow about retirement.
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) June 8, 2016
With all due respect, Mr. Welker needs to close it himself. Even if an NFL team is irresponsible enough to sign him at this point (we’re looking at you, Dallas) that does not mean Welker should take them up on their offer.
Welker has nothing left to prove and everything to lose if he suffers yet another concussion. In Tom Brady and Peyton Manning he got to play with two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and he enjoyed plenty of playoff success.
For this week’s edition of Throwback Thursday, let’s take a few minutes to appreciate Welker’s career.
Wes Welker career highlights
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Here’s a look at some of Welker’s career accomplishments, per Pro Football Reference:
Regular season: 175 games, 903 catches, 9,924 receiving yards, 50 touchdowns
Playoffs: 13 games, 88 catches, 866 receiving yards, five touchdowns
Awards: Five pro bowls, two-tie first-team All Pro, one AFC special teams player of the week
That’s a sound resume for a wide receiver who should get some hall of fame votes one day in the future.
One of the reasons why Welker was able to build such a successful career despite being relatively undersized is his timing. Knowing when to break, when to stick to the route and when to improvise are some of of the most important qualities a wide receiver can have. Welker’s timing on the field was always superb, for what it’s worth.
The best timing of all is knowing when to quit. Let’s hope his internal clock is still intact.
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