2012 NFL Free Agency: Wes Welker Reportedly Likely to Play on Franchise Tag Deal

Patriots fans can—for now-—breathe easy over the contract situation between the team and wide receiver Wes Welker.

Welker, who was designated as the team's franchise player this offseason, will "most likely" play on the deal that the tag affords, rather than force a new long-term contract by holding out.  

It's a good sign for the Patriots, as little in the way of progress has been made during contract talks with their pesky slot receiver, and the team is notorious for setting the terms for any agreement made for prospective player contracts.  

Welker has sounded optimistic throughout the offseason about playing with the team in 2012, noting that the franchise deal would pay him "a lot of money."  

And despite the fact that Welker has not discounted the possibility of playing under the one-year deal in 2012, he has not ruled out skipping the team's forthcoming OTA's, "Still looking to try and decide on that. I’m in no rush and we’ll figure it out.  Me and my agent and the Pa . . . (he stopped short of saying Patriots)  we’re all on the same page with everything. Just looking to move forward and looking forward to the 2012 season.”

Welker recently finished the fifth and final year of the contract he signed with New England when he was acquired in a trade from Miami in 2007.  That contract paid him roughly $18 million over the life of it—the franchise tag contract, by comparison, would pay him about $9.5 million in 2012 alone.

The former undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech finished the 2011 regular season with a league-best 122 catches and trailed only Calvin Johnson of the Lions with his 1,569 receiving yards.