But for now, Amendola is trying to put that aside.
"That's not something I need to worry about," he said Tuesday, via ESPN Boston. "I'm worried about the playbook and getting the routes down and getting on the same page as my teammates. The good thing is I don't have to worry about that stuff."
The Patriots have made a habit of not caving when a player from inside the organization has the leverage, and that applied to Welker, who caught at least 111 passes in five of the last six seasons in New England, amassing no fewer than 1,165 yards in those same years.
They instead opted to sign the 27-year-old Amendola, who is four years younger than Welker but missed five games last year due to a clavicle injury and played in just one in 2011 thanks to an elbow ailment.
Now in New England, Amendola is working under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who served the same role with the St. Louis Louis Rams, Amendola's former team, in 2011.
"It's familiar," Amendola said of his new playbook. "When Josh was in St. Louis I got to know it pretty good. It's a little more intricate out here and it's something to grasp. I'm learning every day."
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