Fame can change a person.

Julian Edelman reassured New England that won’t happen during a meeting with reporters last week. And frankly, Edelman has long been famous. Remember his circus catch in Super Bowl LI? Remember when he replaced Wes Welker after converting from college quarterback? Edelman is kind of a big deal. He has long been a big deal.

But over the last year, he won his third Super Bowl and was awarded the MVP in the game. He also received a contract extension last week, which will include $12 million guaranteed dollars. He’s getting stuff done — and he’s not going to stop.

“I’ve accomplished goals in the past,” Edelman said after organized team activities on Thursday at Gillette Stadium. “And when you do that, you set new goals. I’ve been blessed and fortunate to attain and reach a lot of my dreams, but I still have a lot of other things that I want to go for. Got a big chip on my shoulder still, and I look forward to coming out here and contributing to the team and working hard each day, helping younger guys.”

Edelman’s earning power pales in comparison to many of his contemporaries with similar accomplishments. After 10 seasons, he has made around $26 million, not a small sum, but it’s what receiver Allen Robinson will make in two years on his current deal. Still, Edelman has tested free agency just once in his career, otherwise taking the extensions from New England before he hits free agency.

“I love being here. I don’t want to be anywhere else, and I’m excited for this upcoming year,” he said. “And I’m excited for this spring to work on our fundamentals and mold our team and keep it going.”

Perhaps, a part of why Edelman’s earning power has remained low could be that NFL evaluators think the receiver is a product of the Patriots’ system. An argument could be made that Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Josh McDaniels are the sources of Edelman’s success. That logic is, of course, flawed. Slot receivers are thriving around the NFL, with Golden Tate and Adam Humphries receiving over $10 million per year while signing with new teams this offseason. Edelman’s talent speaks for itself, and while, as he put it, he was “born” in New England, there’s little doubt he could excel elsewhere. Still, Edelman fielded a question about whether he’d wondered if he’d be enjoying the same successes with a different organization.

“Honestly, I didn’t want to go anywhere, and I’m not going anywhere. So Boston, I’ll be back for a couple more,” Edelman said.

A couple more? He means years, probably. Then again, it wouldn’t be beyond Edelman — and the Patriots in general — to be thinking in terms of Super Bowls.