Welker wants to see what's available to him on the open market.
The New England Patriots apparently have not made an offer that Wes Welker couldn't refuse.
Despite flourishing in New England over the last six years, the wide receiver is determined to test the free agency and will not re-sign with the Patriots until after seeing what is available to him on the open market, according to an ESPN report.
This development does not mean that Welker is on his way out of town. It's more likely that the sides value Welker's contributions differently and the wide receiver is looking to get maximum value out of the Patriots, who, to this point, have failed to meet his demands.
All indications suggest that the Patriots and Welker are closer to reaching a long-term deal than they were at this point last season, and an unnamed told CSNNE Tuesday that the two sides were "closing in" on a deal.
However, a source close to Welker told Yahoo! Sports that the wide receiver is still upset about being used in a reserve role at the start of last season and is "paranoid" about his role moving forward with the team.
After the offense stalled early in the season and a few injuries later, the mistake was realized and Welker was back in his typical role and finished the season with 118 catches for 1,354 yards.
So hurdles still exist, but it remains possible that New England will buckle to Welker's demands before free agency opens March 12 at 4 p.m..
It is currently unknown what kind of demands the wide receiver has, though Welker previously turned down a two-year, $16 million offer before playing last season for $9.5 million under the terms of the franchise tag. He would have been due a 20 percent raise if he were tagged again this season.
It is also unclear what kind of market awaits Welker. He will turn 32 this summer, an age where receivers historically enter decline, and his unique skillset means there isn't a set precedent for a player of his caliber.
It remains possible that Welker finds that no team values him as much as the Patriots. He has served as the team's leading receiver over the last six years, catching an average of 112 passes per season. Most often his value could be most felt on third downs, where he accounted for 21 of the 73 third-down conversions that the Patriots had through the air in 2012.
Tight ends Rob Gronkowski (11) and Aaron Hernandez (10) were next on the list.
New England is well aware of Welker's contributions, so it would come as little surprise if Welker were back next season. It just may end up costing a little more than anticipated to make it happen.