Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman gives his thoughts on Bill Belichick's departure from ... [+]
The New England Patriots are entering a brand new era.
For the first time in 25 years, the Patriots will be without Bill Belichick leading the sidelines. That's because the organization and Belichick mutually agreed to part ways after over two historic decades together. New England won six Super Bowls, advanced to the big game on nine occasions, and won division titles in 18 seasons between 2001 and 2019.
However, things had hit a rough patch in the past four years since Tom Brady's
Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman — who won three Super Bowls and played his entire career under Belichick — isn't surprised that the team and the legendary head coach decided to move in a different direction.
"No, I wasn't surprised," Edelman said in a one-on-one interview. "This is a production business. Coach Belichick used to say that every day. And there was no production going on in the win column. It got stale."
Edelman makes sure to mention that the success that Belichick — along with Brady and team owner Robert Kraft — will probably never be duplicated again. However, the former 12-year veteran makes sure to bring up how nothing lasts forever — he mentions his own release as an example — and there's changing parts in the NFL every season.
"I don't think he was surprised," Edelman said of Belichick's likely reaction to the decision. "I think it was probably a mutual thing where 'Hey, it got stale in there. Let's go start new.' It's evolution. Teams have new players and new coaches every year."
A new report from ESPN indicates that there are three teams that Belichick is eyeing as his potential next destination — the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. The Eagles and Cowboys were both briefly linked to Belichick before deciding to bring back both of their head coaches, Nick Sirianni and Mike McCarthy, for the 2024 season. Meanwhile, Belichick has a well-known history with the Giants, having won two Super Bowls as defensive coordinator of the Giants in the 80's.
Edelman acknowledges that the Cowboys would be a "fun" landing spot for Belichick and says that his former head coach "loves" the Giants. However, of those three teams, the Eagles would be the "best" landing spot.
"The best opportunity would be Philadelphia," says Edelman. "They have a lot of football players at all positions. They have holes in the defense, but who wouldn't you rather have than Bill Belichick to come patch up the defense? Get a team that needs to get over that hump to learn how to win a Super Bowl. If I had an opportunity and I had Belichick's brain, I'll go to Philly."
The former Super Bowl MVP makes sure to stress that he's not speaking for his former coach and doesn't have inside information on where Belichick wants to coach.
"I can't speak for coach though. Or he would murder me — literally," says Edelman while smiling.
The 37-year-old fan favorite was actually teammates with new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo for seven seasons from 2009 until 2015. He explains what Mayo brings to the table.
"He brings something fresh, something different," explains Edelman. "He also brings a wealth of knowledge. I was just in New England last week and I got to sit with Jerod. There's a new energy in the building. I think he's going to do well."
Edelman is speaking on behalf of his partnership with Bud Light just prior to the 2024 NFL Draft. Bud Light — which happens to be the official sponsor of the draft — will be giving one winner the chance to face time Edelman, fly on the Patriots team plane, meet the team's first overall pick and also announce the team's third round pick. Long story short, it's basically a dream experience for any fan of New England.
Fans can enter the contest by simply hash tagging "#EasyWishes, #Contest" on Bud Light's social media posts on Facebook and Instagram.
"This is a time of the year for every NFL organization and their fan base to have some hope and Bud Light's making an awesome experience," says Edelman.
Entering the draft with the No. 3 overall pick, the Patriots obviously need a new franchise quarterback. They traded former starter Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars and have been linked to quarterbacks such as Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels — two players who are considered the best quarterbacks of the draft outside of Caleb Williams.
While Edelman isn't making a prediction on who exactly the Patriots will take with the No. 3 pick, he stresses that they need to find their new franchise quarterback in the draft.
"You need a quarterback," says Edelman. "You have to build somewhere. They need a lot more than just a quarterback. I don't know if it's with that third pick, but they need a quarterback."
Speaking of passers, Edelman's former quarterback, Brady, made headlines recently by teasing a comeback. Brady appeared on the Shadow Lion's "DeepCuts" podcast and said he'd "pick up the phone" if a needy team called with an offer to return to the field. He mentioned the Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders as two potential destinations.
Since Brady's comments, Edelman has tried to get Brady on his podcast. However, he's still awaiting the seven-time Super Bowl champion's response.
From a physical standpoint, Edelman believes Brady could do it, mentioning how his trainer, Alex Guerrero, probably still keeps his arm in good shape. However, he doesn't think the 46-year-old quarterback is actually going to make a comeback.
"Do I think he could do it? Yeah," says Edelman. "The guy knows football. Do I think he will? I don't think he would. He's not coming back."
