Wes Welker speaks with the media Wednesday night. (WEEI.com photo)

CHESTNUT HILL — Wes Welker said he didn’t have any regrets about his departure from the Patriots, but did acknowledge there were some melancholy feelings when he returned to New England for an event Wednesday.

The wide receiver was in town as part of an event involving noted hair restoration expert Dr. Robert Leonard, who recently gave an assist to the follicly-challenged Welker. Talking with reporters, Welker said that he didn’t regret leaving the Patriots for the Broncos as a free agent in March, and added that there were no hard feeling between him and the franchise.

“Never any regrets. I think you go out there and play your game and you don’t really look back. In decisions and the way I play, I never want to have any regrets. So I never look back like that,” he said.

The 32-year-old Welker, who arrived in New England via a trade with the Dolphins prior to the start of the 2007 season, became the first receiver in NFL history in 2012 with at least five seasons of 100 or more receptions. Overall, in six seasons with the Patriots, he caught 672 passes for 7,459 yards and 37 touchdowns.

However, in the days after Welker signed a new deal with Denver, there was a lot of debate about which contract was better, as representatives for the wide receiver disputed the claims put forth by New England and owner Robert Kraft.

But Welker, who surpassed 100 catches in five of his six seasons in New England, said Wednesday he doesn’t feel underappreciated for what he did with the Patriots,

“Unfortunately, it’s the business side of football,” he shrugged. “As a player, you don’t like [it], but you understand it. You just move on and look toward the future.”

Welker did confess to being “a little sad” being in the area on Wednesday while recalling some of the good times.

“Just because you had so many years here and it was such a great time and everything else. But you try and think about it too much and go on to the future and just hope for the best,” he said.

“It’s been great. I was walking around Boston and people were coming up and [saying], ‘Thank you for everything’ and stuff like that,” he added. “It’s been really cool to come back and see that. I was afraid maybe they might throw stones at me or something. They’ve been more than great to me. It’s been great to be able to come back.”

Welker was reticent to compare the environments in New England and Denver, saying both are “very competitive atmospheres. It’s all very tough. It’s hard to compare each other or find the differences or anything else.”

“It’s all the NFL,” he said. You just have to roll with whatever is there. I feel like I’m in a good situation, and I’m excited about it.”

In making the transition from the Patriots to the Broncos, Welker has the chance to go from one Hall of Fame quarterback to another in Tom Brady to Peyton Manning. One of the reasons Welker was so successful in New England was because of his chemistry with Brady. Welker said Wednesday he and Brady remain “very close,” and added that they still talk “every once and awhile.”

But Welker added that in the short time he’s been in Denver, it’s easy why the two quarterbacks have been as successful as they have over the course of their respective careers.

“They’re both professionals,” he said. “It’s obvious that they’re the best in the game and you get to see why they are the best — the way they study, the way they prepare and get ready. It speaks volumes as to why they are successful.”

Welker will get another chance to return to New England on Nov. 24 when the Patriots host the Broncos at Gillette.

“You have the whole season in front of you, so you’re always working towards trying to be at your best,” he said. “You definitely want to play your best at certain times — especially on Sundays — and I look forward to coming back and playing.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in Denver so far, and I’m really looking forward to the team we have there and what we might be able to accomplish.”

Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who reportedly is being investigated to determine his connection to a homicide of a 27-year-old man near his home in North Attleboro, was sued last week after allegedly shooting an acquaintance outside a Miami strip club, according to a report from TMZ.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Florida last Thursday. Alexander S. Bradley claims he went to the club with Hernandez, got in an argument with the Patriot and left in the same car. During the ride to Palm Beach, the lawsuit alleges, Hernandez aimed an unlicensed gun at Bradley and it discharged, striking Bradley in the face. Bradley indicated that he needed major surgery to reconstruct his face — losing his right eye — and suffered injuries to his right hand and arm as well.

TMZ credited a source as saying Bradley’s legal team dismissed the case four days after filing it because of a paperwork error and planned to refile Wednesday.

Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski will start the preseason on the physically unable to perform list, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Gronkowski (who underwent his fifth surgery of the offseason and sixth of the last 17 months on Tuesday) had a procedure on his back Tuesday that was described by Dr. Robert Watkins as “microscopic lumbar discectomy surgery.” It is the second back surgery of the last four years — as a collegian, he had back surgery which left him on the shelf for a season.

Gronkowski has also had four surgeries this offseason on his forearm for a broken bone and a subsequent infection issue.

The question now is whether or not Gronkowski would start the regular season on the PUP list, which would leave him sidelined for at least the first six games of the year. Much of that can be tied to the length of the rehab process, and as Watkins stated here, “The timing of his return to football will depend on his progression through the rehabilitation program.”

For more Patriots news, check out weei.com/patriots.

Aaron Hernandez

Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has not been ruled out as a suspect in the North Attleboro homicide investigation, according to a report from WBZ.

The report credits a law enforcement source as saying Hernandez has not been cooperating with investigators, who were back at Hernandez’ North Attleboro home Wednesday morning but left when no one answered the door. Hernandez was spotted driving away from the home earlier.

The body of a 27-year-old man was found by a jogger Monday in an industrial park near Hernandez’ home. The man was identified by his family Wednesday as Odin Lloyd, a Dorchester resident who was a linebacker for the semi-pro Boston Bandits football team.

According to multiple reports, Hernandez was tied to the case by a rental car under his name that had been found near the scene.