“I Am Shocked”: Julian Edelman Calls Bulls**t as Bill Belichick Ends Up Without a Coaching Job

It sent shock waves through the NFL world when Bill Belichick announced that he would no longer be the Patriots’ Head Coach. And now, almost three months later, he still has not found a new home. And one would think that a coach with his record – 302 regular-season wins, 31 playoff victories, twenty double-digit-win seasons, 17 division titles, and six Super Bowl Championships – would be instantly lapped up. But it hasn’t happened.

On the latest episode of The Rush podcast, hosted by Maxx Crosby, former Patriots WR Julian Edelman came out in a raw defense of Bill Belichick.

Julian Edelman rubbishes Belichick’s “non collaborative” criticism

“It’s honestly crazy to me that that doesn’t have a job,” Edelman tried to put into words his astonishment. According to him, that a coach of his level and a unrivaled resume is still looking for a job is “insane” and “gnarly”. The common thread in these criticisms is the perception that Belichick is not a collaborator, a narrative Edelman waved off with a swipe.

“And then this whole thing, this whole narrative that he’s not collaborative, this, that, like bulls**t,” Edelman insisted. He conceded that Belichick was demanding, efficient, and result-oriented: “He’s not collaborative if you give him information or you present something to him and it doesn’t work.” He also agreed that he could be “tough”, but then that’s what coaches need to be. “Who’s ever liked their football coach?” he asked rhetorically.

And while he may not have had a close or personal relationship with Belichick, he certainly hit it off well with his teammate, Tom Brady.

Edelman struck a lasting friendship with Brady

On the field, Edelman and Brady had great chemistry. But once off the field, they made awesome buddies. For Edelman, when he first met Brady, it was love at first sight. Edelman came into the league long after Brady had solidified himself as an all-time legendary force. He was actually star stuck when he realized that he would have to share a locker room with the man. But, he was able to get past that and form a wonderful close relationship with him.

They grew so close that, “The first year, he hit me up once. The second year, he hit me up once a week. And the third year, we were doing it four times a week, and I was having lunch with Gisele and eating avocado ice cream at the house,” he revealed later in the podcast. It was made possible because he made himself “available to him”.

Edelman had joined the NFL in 2009, while Brady had done so nine years later. But, Brady outlasted Edelman by two years. Their friendship, however, continues to remain strong even though they might not be playing shoulder to shoulder anymore.

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