In an alternate universe somewhere, Julian Edelman would've spent his career wearing black and yellow and lining up in the defensive backfield.
Edelman alternated between throwing digs at Tom Brady and dishing tea during his appearance Monday on the ManningCast. When Peyton Manning brought up Edelman's career as a quarterback at Kent State, the great slot receiver said he knew he would play a different position in the pros, because teams scouted him at seemingly every position besides quarterback.
That includes the Steelers, who were interested in Edelman as a defensive player.
"I knew I was going to play a different position, I just didn't know what position it was at that time," Edelman said. "New England sent out the scouts to come work me out. They sent out the running backs coach Ivan Fears first; they sent out the special teams coordinator; they sent out an offensive coach and worked me out three different times. The Steelers worked me out as a defensive player. I just wanted to play football, honestly. It didn't matter where. I would say my quarterback days were a little limited."
In the Steelers' defense, even the Patriots weren't enamored with Edelman as a wideout at first. The seventh-round pick broke into the league as primarily a kick returner, only amassing 47 receptions over his first three seasons.
Edelman almost signed with the Giants as a free agent in 2013, which he also shared Monday.
But Edelman wound up staying in New England, and the rest is history, including his 8-catch, 118-yard performance in the 2018 AFC Championship.
If only he was on the other side of the field for that one.
