After six seasons with the New England Patriots, Wes Welker is leaving for the Denver Broncos.
Welker and the Broncos agreed to terms on a two-year contract today, Broncos front office boss John Elway announced.
In his six seasons in New England, Welker was consistently one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, catching more than 110 passes in five different seasons. He was also a fan favorite and a favorite of his teammates, and there was a great deal of talk in New England that one way or another, he and the team would find a way to get a deal done.
But it didn’t happen. Welker and the Patriots disagreed on what kind of contract he was worth, and when Welker was still available 24 hours into free agency, the Broncos swooped in and made him the deal he was working for.
Now Welker leaves one AFC title contender for another, and leaves Tom Brady for Peyton Manning.
UPDATE 5:09 p.m. ET: It’s a two-year, $12 million contract for Welker.