‘I’m a one team man’: Julian Edelman reveals he passed on opportunity to reunite with Tom Brady, loved playing in Boston
Edelman loved the winning culture in Boston and played his entire 11-year NFL career with the Patriots.
Julian Edelman seemed to genuinely love playing for the Patriots and being in the city of Boston.
The wide receiver started his career in New England in 2009 and played 11 seasons in the NFL, all with the Patriots. In an appearance on Maxx Crosby’s podcast, “The Rush,” Edelman revealed there was a conversation with Tom Brady about switching teams.
Apparently, Brady joked about leaving long before he actually did depart after the 2019 season. During those times, he usually expressed a desire to bring Edelman with him. By the time it became reality, Edelman chose loyalty to his team over his quarterback.
“He hit me up when he left, and he goes, ‘Hey babe, you want me to get you down here?’, Edelman said. “I was like, no, I’m good man. I’m a one team man.”
Edelman and Brady established a strong relationship on and off the field, particularly once Wes Welker left the Patriots following the 2012 season. In 2013, Edelman registered the highest catch total of his career (105 receptions), and the third-highest receiving mark (1,056 yards).
Edelman recalled memories of running countless plays in a row with Brady in a two-minute drill setting to help build up trust in the slot receiver.
“The one thing about Tom Brady is, he always practiced with a purpose,” Edelman said. “It didn’t matter what time of year it was, who was around. He always went out with something he was trying to fix, or there was a purpose with why he was practicing … he was very intense.”
Though Edelman only played one season in New England without Brady, he stressed on the podcast how much he enjoyed the sports culture in Boston. Edelman arrived in New England one year after the Celtics won their last NBA championship, and he saw the Bruins and Red Sox hoist trophies on top of winning a few of his own.
“Boston’s the best town, man. I’ve got a lot of great relationships with the Celtics … that’s the cool thing about playing in Boston,” Edelman said. “It’s pretty cool, and it’s kind of competitive. If the Bruins go out and win one, it’s all, ‘Nah, we gotta go get one,’ … it was love, but also like, you can’t be out-showing us.”
Crosby, who plays for the Las Vegas Raiders, added: “I love Boston. Boston’s a vibe.”
Edelman’s loyalty to the Patriots makes him even more of a fan favorite in Boston, and it seems that love goes both ways.
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