Staying or Going? Patriots’ Wes Welker Set for NFL Free Agency

Will he stay or will he go?

That’s the burning question in Foxborough Tuesday as the New England Patriots and wide receiver Wes Welker have yet to come to terms on a new contract.

Absent a new deal by 4 p.m. EST Tuesday, Welker will officially become an unrestricted NFL free agent, which could mark the end of his five-year career in New England.

Or maybe not.

NFL.com reported Monday via SI.com’s Peter King it’s “widely believed” Welker is “staying in New England.”

Fueling that storyline Monday were these comments from Patriots owner and CEO Robert Kraft to reporters in New York City, according to multiple reports.

“We want Wes," Kraft told reporters via the New York Post. "We really do.”

And according to ESPN, Kraft wants Welker in Foxborough for the long haul, just like quarterback Tom Brady.

“I love Wes Welker,” Kraft said via ESPN.com. "I hope he remains a Patriot for life, just like Tom Brady."

to remain under contract with the Patriots until he is 40 years old. The contract extension also cleared roughly $15 million in salary cap dollars that the Patriots could in turn use to re-sign Welker.

But the wide receiver’s future remains very much a mystery with free agency just hours away.

Some reports, like CSN Patriots Insider Tom Curran’s, suggest Welker “will ultimately be back” in Foxborough next season while others, like Armando Salguero’s of the Miami Herald, say Welker may be looking to “stick it” to the Patriots if the team doesn’t give the player what he wants heading into free agency.

And while more reports surfaced Monday that Welker is expected to stay in New England than reports he would be leaving town, the wide receiver’s next move is anyone’s guess.

So what’s yours?

TELL US: With NFL free agency set to begin Tuesday, do you think Wes Welker will remain with the New England Patriots or do you expect him to sign elsewhere? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!