Wes Welker Mulling Retirement

Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker is considering retirement, according to Mike Garafolo of FOXSports.com. Years of head injuries and declining production have led the 33-year-old wide receiver to consider walking away from the game.

One of the sources said no final decision has been made by the pending free agent but Welker has told friends, family, and associates that he’s giving the notion some serious thought. The veteran has hauled in 122 catches for 1,242 yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two seasons with Denver, though his reception total dropped from 73 in 2013 to 49 in 2014. Welker had only two touchdowns this past season, a campaign where he wound up playing in just nine regular season contests. The most important number of all might be 3: the number of concussions Welker has suffered during his two years in Denver. His most recent documented concussion came in the 2014 preseason.

If Welker’s career is truly over, then he’ll have left the sport with one heck of a resume. Welker, an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech, burst out of relative obscurity in 2006 with the Dolphins when he caught 67 balls for 687 yards. The next year, he landed with the Patriots where his career really took off. Serving as a trusted receiver for Tom Brady, Welker became a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-Team All-Pro. With the unlikely 5’9 target as an integral part of the offensive attack, the Pats captured two AFC Championship trophies.

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