Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American professional football coach and former wide receiver who is the tight ends coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL for 12 seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots, and holds the NFL record for most receptions by an undrafted player. Welker played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, winning the Mosi Tatupu Award and receiving first-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior.
Joining the NFL in 2004, Welker played his first three seasons with the Dolphins and set the franchise record for kick return yardage. Welker was traded to the Patriots in 2007, where he earned Pro Bowl selections in five of his six seasons, led the league in receptions three times, set the franchise record for receptions, and became one of 13 players to score a 99-yard touchdown. He played his next two seasons with the Denver Broncos and was a member of the 2013 team that set the NFL record for points scored in a season. He played for the St. Louis Rams in 2015 before retiring. Welker has served as an offensive assistant and coach since 2017 for several teams. For his accomplishments in New England, he was named to the Patriots' All-2000s, All-2010s, and All-Dynasty Teams.
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Early life
Welker started his football career at Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City, his hometown. In his junior year, he helped lead the Chargers to the 2A State Football championship over Tishomingo High School. In that game, Welker had three touchdowns, over 200 all-purpose yards, a 47-yard field goal, and an interception. In his high school career, he rushed for 3,235 yards and 53 rushing touchdowns to go along with recording 174 receptions for 2,551 receiving yards and 27 receiving touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 22 interceptions, three pick-sixes, 581 tackles, and nine fumble recoveries. He handled some kicking duties and recorded 165 extra points made and 35 field goals converted. As a punt returner, he scored seven touchdowns. Also, in 1999, he was named The Daily Oklahoman All-State Player of the Year, Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the year, as well as Oklahoma State Player of the Year by USA Today.
Welker played in the 2000 Oil Bowl, scoring a 40-yard field goal for the Oklahoma team in the 11–9 loss. Out of high school, Welker was not heavily recruited, as he was considered to be too small to play at the college level. However, after a recruit at Texas Tech backed out of his scholarship, it was offered to Welker. Said Welker of the experience:
"I was thinking I'd get a scholarship somewhere. When it didn't happen when it was supposed to, on signing day, I was pretty hurt by it. … In the end, I don't think I could've picked a better school than Texas Tech."Besides football Welker also ran track his freshman and sophomore years before moving on to soccer in his junior year. He scored 15 goals in four games during the 1999 season before suffering a season-ending injury. Welker rejoined the team late in his senior year and helped lead the team to a 10-4-1 record. A two-time MVP, he also helped Heritage Hall qualify for the state tournament for the first time. Although his he only played 9 games in two seasons, he had nine assists. Which ranks him 5th in career goals and career points, and he honored by selection to the 1999 and 2000 All-District teams as well as the 2000 All-State team. He was inducted into the heritage Hall athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
College career
While attending Texas Tech University, Welker played for the school's Red Raiders football team. His last-minute signing proved to be very beneficial for the Red Raider football team. Based on a highlight reel from high school, Welker earned the nickname "The Natural", given to him by his recruiter, and then running backs coach at Texas Tech, Art Briles, before his freshman year for his versatility and big-game performances.
2000 season
Welker made his collegiate debut in the 2000 season opener against Utah State. He recorded an eight-yard punt return in the 38–16 victory. Two weeks later, in a 26–0 victory over Louisiana–Lafayette, he recorded a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. He had four total punt returns on the day for 102 net yards for a 25.5 average On October 7, against Baylor, he recorded his first collegiate reception on a 37-yard catch in the 28–0 victory. On October 28, in a 45–39 victory over Kansas, he had five receptions for 72 yards to go along with a 42-yard rushing touchdown. In addition, he recorded a punt return that went 66 yards for a touchdown. As a freshman, he had 26 receptions for 334 yards. In addition, he recorded 17 kick returns for 308 net yards for a 18.0 average and 28 punt returns for 353 net yards for a 12.6 average and two punt return touchdowns.
2001 season
In the Red Raiders' 2001 season opener, a 42–30 victory over New Mexico, Welker had four receptions for 40 receiving yards and his first collegiate receiving touchdown on a pass by quarterback Kliff Kingsbury. On October 13, in a 38–19 victory over Kansas State, he had six receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns. In the following game, a 41–31 loss at Nebraska, he had four receptions for 47 yards to go along with an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown. On November 3, he had 11 catches for 64 yards in the 12–0 victory over Texas A&M. As a sophomore, he had 50 receptions for 582 yards and five touchdowns.
2002 season
Welker started the 2002 season off with a strong individual performance of five receptions for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the 45–21 loss to Ohio State. In the next game, he turned in another great effort with nine receptions for 153 yards in the 24–14 victory over SMU. The following week against Ole Miss, he had four receptions for 40 yards to go along with a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 42–28 victory. On October 5, against Texas A&M, he had 10 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown to go along with an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 48–47 shootout victory. On November 16, against Texas, he had 14 receptions for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the 42–38 victory. In the 2002 Tangerine Bowl, he had three receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 59-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 55–15 victory over Clemson. As a junior, he had 86 receptions for 1,054 yards and seven receiving touchdowns to go along with 57 punt returns for 752 net yards and three punt returns for touchdowns. In the Big 12 conference, his total receptions finished third, receiving yards finished sixth, and receiving touchdowns finished seventh. He led the conference and finished second in the NCAA with his total punt return yardage.
2003 season
In the first three games of the 2003 season, Welker totaled 16 receptions for 183 yards and recorded a punt return touchdown in a 58–10 victory over SMU in that stretch. In his fourth game, against Ole Miss, he had 10 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown in the 49–45 victory. On October 4, against Texas A&M, he had six receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the 59–28 victory. On October 18, against Oklahoma State, he had 10 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns in the 51–49 loss. . On November 1, against Colorado, he had five receptions for 91 yards and a receiving touchdown to go along with a 58-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 26–21 victory. In his final collegiate game, in the 2003 Houston Bowl against Navy, he had seven receptions for 107 yards in the 38–14 victory. As a senior, he had 97 receptions for 1,099 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with a four-yard rushing touchdown.
Over his four-year career, he had 259 receptions for 3,019 yards and 21 touchdowns, 341 kick return yards, and 79 rushes for 456 yards and two touchdowns. He set the NCAA record for punt return yards with 1,761, and returned eight punts for touchdowns in his career, which currently places him a second place tie with Antonio Perkins for the NCAA record, and behind Dante Pettis, who finished with nine.
In 2003, Welker won the Mosi Tatupu Award, given annually to the best special teams player in college football. Welker was also named to the Sports Illustrated All-Decade Team as a punt returner.
After his senior season at Texas Tech, Welker was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.
Professional career
San Diego Chargers
Welker, who went undrafted during the 2004 NFL draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, appearing in four preseason games and the regular season opener against the Houston Texans. After returning four kickoffs for 102 yards in his debut, Welker was released when the Chargers claimed safety Clinton Hart off waivers. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer later acknowledged that in terms of roster cuts, releasing Welker was the "biggest mistake [he] ever made".
Miami Dolphins
After the Chargers released Welker, he passed through waivers. Although the Chargers offered him a slot on their practice squad, Welker chose to sign with the Miami Dolphins, where he was mostly used on special teams. Playing against the New England Patriots on October 10, 2004, Welker became the second player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt, kick an extra point and a field goal, and make a tackle in a single game. For this performance, Welker earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. On December 20, Welker had a 71-yard punt return to set up Miami's first touchdown in a 29–28 victory over the Patriots. In the regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, he had a 95-yard return touchdown in the 30–23 loss. Overall, he finished the 2004 season with 61 kickoff returns for 1,415 net yards (23.20 average) and a kickoff return touchdown to go along with 43 punt returns for 464 net yards (10.79 average).
During training camp at the beginning of the 2005 season, Welker was promoted to the third wide receiver spot after Chris Chambers and Marty Booker. He finished the 2005 season with 29 receptions for 434 yards. In addition, he had 43 punt returns for 390 yards, a 9.1-yard average (11th in the NFL), and 61 kick returns for 1,379 yards, a 22.6-yard average (20th in the NFL).
After rumors that he would be cut during the preseason, Welker started off being a bright spot in the struggling Dolphins' offense. Through five games, he netted a team-high 29 catches and team-high 299 yards. On October 8, 2006, he was a reliable target for backup quarterback Joey Harrington, recording a then career-high nine catches for 77 yards in a 20–10 loss to the New England Patriots. For the season, he had a team-best 67 receptions for 687 yards and one touchdown. He returned 48 kickoffs for 1,048 yards (22.2 average) and 41 punts for 378 yards (9.2 average).
New England Patriots
On March 1, 2007, the Dolphins offered Welker, a restricted free agent, a second-round tender of $1.35 million for a one-year contract. News reports indicated the New England Patriots, who were interested in Welker, had originally considered signing him to an offer sheet. Miami would have had seven days to match the offer. According to The Boston Globe, that sheet would have contained a poison pill provision that would have made the offer difficult for the Dolphins to match. Ultimately, however, the Patriots decided not to use such an offer and traded their 2007 second-round draft pick and a seventh-round draft pick to the Dolphins for Welker.
Welker's first season as a Patriot eclipsed his 2006 season as a Dolphin; he bettered his totals for receptions, touchdowns, and yardage in his first ten games. In Week 1, a 38–14 victory over the New York Jets, he caught the first of the Patriots' 75 touchdowns, equaling the one receiving touchdown he had scored in his three seasons with the Dolphins. He set career highs for single-game yardage three times in 2007: in the Patriots' Week 6 48–27 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Welker had 11 catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns (all career bests); the next week, a 49–28 victory over the Miami Dolphins, he had nine catches for 138 yards and two more touchdowns (the most receiving yards of any NFL player that week); and in Week 12, a 31–28 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, he had 13 receptions for 149 yards. In Week 15, a 20–10 victory over the New York Jets, Welker reached 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career; in Week 16, against the Miami Dolphins, he recorded his 101st reception of the season, tying the Patriots franchise record set by Troy Brown in 2001. In Week 17, in a game against the New York Giants, he caught 11 more passes, setting the Patriots franchise record for catches with 112, and tying Bengals receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh for most receptions in the 2007 NFL season. He also set an NFL record for most catches in a first season with a new team. Welker, who finished the season with 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns, received one vote for NFL Offensive Player of the Year, an award won by his quarterback, Tom Brady, and was voted to his first AP All-Pro Team (second team).
In his first two postseason games, the Divisional Round against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the AFC Championship against the San Diego Chargers, Welker had 16 receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He tied the then-Super Bowl record of 11 receptions in a single game in the Patriots' 17–14 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
Denver Broncos
On March 13, 2013, Welker signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Denver Broncos. Welker's signing with Denver was a result of Welker and the New England Patriots being unable to agree to a contract.
In his debut with the Broncos, Welker had nine receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns in the 49–27 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on NBC Sunday Night Football. His two receiving touchdowns were part of a single-game record seven thrown by quarterback Peyton Manning. In Week 4, in a 52–20 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, he had seven receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns. By Week 11, Welker had more touchdowns than he had the entire previous season with New England (six), and as many as he had in any season with the Patriots (nine). He caught a touchdown pass in eight of the first ten games of the 2013 season.
In Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans, Welker took a hit to the head on a play across the middle late in the second quarter, and his neck bent awkwardly on the play. Welker previously suffered a concussion in Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He did not play for the rest of the regular season. Welker was part of the Broncos' historic offense which saw five players record at least ten touchdowns on the season.
On December 30, the day after Denver's 34–14 victory over the Oakland Raiders, head coach John Fox announced that Welker was cleared to play in the Broncos's Divisional Round playoff game against the San Diego Chargers on January 12, 2014. He had six receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown in the 24–17 victory in the Divisional Round. On January 19, Welker earned his third AFC Championship win and Super Bowl appearance after he helped the Broncos defeat his former team, the New England Patriots, 26–16. Welker had four receptions for 38 yards in the victory. The Broncos lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 43–8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. He had eight catches for 84 yards in the loss, the third such loss in the Super Bowl for Welker. He was ranked 73rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.
During the third preseason game on August 23, Welker was diagnosed with a concussion after a hit by Houston Texans safety D. J. Swearinger. The concussion was Welker's third in ten months. On September 2, the NFL suspended Welker for the first four games of the 2014 NFL season for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy after he failed a drug test due to amphetamines. On September 12, Welker's suspension was lifted due to the NFL's new drug policy. Welker made his season debut in Week 3, a 26–20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of the previous year's Super Bowl. In a Week 5 game against the Arizona Cardinals on October 5, Welker passed Rod Smith for the most receptions by an undrafted player in NFL history. In a Week 7 game against the San Francisco 49ers, Welker caught his first touchdown of the season and it was Peyton Manning's 508th career touchdown pass, which tied Brett Favre for the most in NFL history. Overall, he finished the 2014 season with 49 receptions for 464 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. In the Divisional Round against the Indianapolis Colts, he had a 20-yard reception in the 24–13 loss. Welker did not re-sign with the Broncos and became a free agent.
St. Louis Rams
On November 9, 2015, the St. Louis Rams signed Welker to a one-year, $1.8 million contract. He appeared in eight games, but started none, and had 13 receptions for 102 yards for the Rams in the 2015 season. The 2015 season was Welker's last in the NFL as a player. He acknowledged he had retired in 2017.
Career statistics
Career highlights
Awards and honors
NFL
2× First-team All-Pro (2009, 2011)
2× Second-team All-Pro (2007, 2008)
5× Pro Bowl (2008–2012)
3× NFL receptions leader (2007, 2009, 2011)
New England Patriots All-Dynasty Team
New England Patriots All-2010s Team
New England Patriots All-2000s Team
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2004)
4× NFL Top 100 — 50th (2011), 23rd (2012), 44th (2013), 73rd (2014)
College
Mosi Tatupu Award (2003)
First-team All-Big 12 (2003)
Second-team All-Big 12 (2002)
Texas Tech Ring of Honor (2024)
Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (2025)
Records
Most seasons with 105+ receptions: 5
Most seasons with 110+ receptions: 5
Most seasons with 115+ receptions: 3
Most seasons with 120+ receptions: 2 (tied with Cris Carter, Antonio Brown and Michael Thomas)
Most consecutive seasons with 110 receptions: 3 (tied with Antonio Brown)
Most games with 12+ receptions: 9
Most games with 13+ receptions: 5 (tied with Antonio Brown)
Most games with 15+ receptions: 2 (tied with Jason Witten, Brandon Marshall, and Antonio Brown)
Most games with 10+ receptions in a season: 7 (tied with Andre Johnson)
Fastest receiver to have 500 catches with one team (New England Patriots) (70 games)
Longest touchdown reception: 99 (September 2, 2011, against the Miami Dolphins) (tied with 12 others)
Most receptions of any undrafted free agent in NFL history: 903
Most career punt returns without a touchdown: 264
Most career punt return yards without a touchdown: 2,584
Most career kick return yards: 3,756
Most career combined Kick and Punt return yards (4,988)
Coaching career
Houston Texans
On January 30, 2017, Welker began his coaching career and was hired by the Houston Texans as an offensive assistant and special teams assistant coach under head coach Bill O'Brien. That same year, NFL Films aired Wes Welker: A Football Life, which credits Welker as a game-changing slot receiver.
San Francisco 49ers
On February 27, 2019, Welker was hired by the San Francisco 49ers to be their wide receivers coach under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Miami Dolphins
On February 18, 2022, Welker chose to follow head coach Mike McDaniel, the former offensive coordinator for the 49ers, to be the wide receivers coach on McDaniel's inaugural coaching staff with the Dolphins. Welker was fired on January 10, 2025.
Washington Commanders
Welker joined the Washington Commanders as a personnel analyst on April 8, 2025, working with both the personnel department and coaching staff. He moved to an offensive assistant role in February 2026 and was named tight ends coach in July 2026 following the firing of Ben Steele at the start of training camp.
Personal life
Welker was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is a Christian. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and has a grandmother who lives within Cherokee Nation jurisdiction in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma.
While attending Texas Tech University, Welker was a Texas Epsilon chapter member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Welker graduated from Texas Tech University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management from the Rawls College of Business.
In 2007, Welker established the 83 Foundation (after his NFL uniform number). The foundation, renamed the Wes Welker Foundation in December 2009, states that its goal is "to influence at-risk youth, by encouraging their full potential through athletics and positive role models". Its work primarily benefits schools and other organizations in Welker's hometown of Oklahoma City. Since its inception he has raised over $2,500,000 in grants to over 40 Oklahoma City schools and organizations.
In 2012, Welker married former swimsuit model and 2005 Miss Hooters Pageant Winner Anna Burns. They have three children. Welker owns a chestnut-colored gelding racehorse called Undrafted, trained by Wesley Ward. In 2014, Undrafted notched his first win in the Grade 3 Jaipur Invitational Stakes at Belmont. Undrafted also won the Group 1 2015 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot Racecourse.