Julian Edelman settles the Tom Brady vs. Bill Belichick debate: ‘I love them both’
“I really do feel like the kid that has to talk about mommy and dad after the divorce,” Edelman said about his former quarterback and coach.
When it comes to the Tom Brady–Bill Belichick debate, Julian Edelman still isn’t taking sides.
It’s no secret that the former wide receiver maintains a strong fraternal bond with Brady after playing together for 11 seasons. Even so, Edelman has never solely credited the quarterback for the Patriots’ success from 2001-19.
Those years, referred to as “the dynasty,” cemented both Brady and Belichick as two of football’s most illustrious figures. But when it comes down to deciding which of the two was New England’s winning “X-factor,” the jury is still out, according to Edelman.
“I live in Brentwood because Tom Brady fed me the rock, but I was the football player that I was because of how Bill Belichick coached me,” Edelman said during an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “It was both of them and I love them both.”
Without Belichick, Edelman likely would’ve never started in the NFL. Leading up to the 2009 draft, the Kent State quarterback wasn’t generating much interest from scouts. That is, however, until Belichick recognized his athleticism and sharp football acumen, plucking him out of the seventh round.
“[Belichick] drafted me, he had the opportunity to take a quarterback out of Kent State who could barely throw the [expletive] ball,” Edelman said.
It was Belichick who took a 23-year-old Edelman and coached him into the Super Bowl LIII MVP. But, it was Brady who targeted him for over a decade, with Edelman averaging 68.9 receptions per season.
“I really do feel like the kid that has to talk about mommy and dad after the divorce,” Edelman said.
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