Wes Welker is making one thing clear, he never uttered the words "retirement." The Denver Broncos wide receiver will be a free agent come March and a lot has been made about his potential future in the NFL. Since departing the New England Patriots, Welker has seen a real drop in production as his injuries increase. However, the wide receiver is making it clear that he will be back in 2015 no matter what.
FOX Sports 1 reported that Welker was likely going to retire this offseason after a string of concussions during his past two seasons with Denver. The wide receiver received two concussions in a three-week span during the 2013 season and had another one during the 2014 season. At 33, it was assumed that Welker would likely consider shutting things down in order to not risk anymore damage. However, in a text message to the Denver Post, Welker made it clear that he is coming back to play in 2015.
Welker texted, "Just getting ready for 2015" and that retirement "never came out of my mouth." Welker might intend to play again in 2015, but it remains to be seen if a team is interested in making that happen. The wide receiver was averaging 112 catches during his six-season span with the Patriots, but dropped off considerably with the Denver Broncos, falling to the fourth option for quarterback Peyton Manning. He paired that with a string of injuries and a random two-game suspension that Welker got appealed. His past two years have been forgettable.
According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, the Denver Broncos do not intend on re-signing Welker in the slot receiver position. Right now, they are focusing on negotiations with Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas while getting confirmation that Manning is returning to play in 2015. Demaryius Thomas will be the likely recipient of the franchise tag while Julius Thomas could earn a long-term deal. Negotiations are ongoing with both stars as Denver is trying to get deals in place before free agency starts. If the wide receiver and tight end get a chance to test the market, interest will be extremely high and Denver could miss out.
Without Welker, the Broncos move on with Emmanuel Sanders entering his second year with the team and rookie Cody Latimer who will get more responsibility in his second year. If the Broncos can re-sign both Demaryius and Julius while getting a healthy Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman back in the mix, their offense should be just fine going forward for Manning.