Patriots' Welker signs franchise tender

May 15, 2012 - 6:00 PM (Sports Network) - New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker has signed his franchise tender.

Welker disclosed the news on his Twitter account.

"I signed my tender today. I love the game and I love my teammates! Hopefully doing the right thing gets the right results," the four-time Pro Bowl choice tweeted.

The franchise tender guarantees Welker about $9.5 million for the 2012 season, although the two sides can still work toward a long-term agreement.

Welker, a nine-year veteran, has spent the past five seasons with the Patriots.

In 2011, Welker paced the NFL in receptions for the third time since joining New England, finishing with an AFC-best and franchise-record 1,569 receiving yards on 122 catches and a career-high nine touchdowns.

Only once in his five years as a member of the Patriots has Welker caught fewer than 111 passes -- 86 in 2010.

The 31-year-old veteran has totaled 554 receptions, 6,105 yards and 31 touchdowns in 77 career games with New England.

Welker played one game with San Diego in 2004 before joining the Dolphins. He spent the rest of the '04 campaign and two more years in Miami before the Patriots dealt a pair of draft picks to the Dolphins in March 2007 to acquire the Texas Tech product.