Julian Edelman was still under contract with the New England Patriots when Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to the 2020 season. Surely, the veteran quarterback would not have tried to convince his buddy to join him in the Sunshine State, right? Wrong, apparently.
Edelman was a guest on the “ManningCast” show during Monday night’s game between the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Eli Manning asked Edelman if he and Brady ever discussed playing together in Tampa. Edelman revealed that Brady called him the first day Brady signed with the Bucs and asked “you wanna come down?” Edelman says he told Brady “absolutely not.”
Julian Edelman told Peyton and Eli Manning last night that Tom Brady hit him up the day he signed with the #Bucs to see if Edelman would join him in Tampa Bay.
Edelman responded: “absolutely not.”#Patriots | #ForeverNE pic.twitter.com/UsXml0OHQ3
— Boston Sports Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) November 23, 2021
Many have assumed that Brady tried to recruit Edelman at some point. The two are close friends and had one of the best on-field connections in NFL history. However, Edelman was asked the same question last month and chose to avoid it.
Edelman loved playing with Brady, but he loved playing for Bill Belichick just as much. He reminded us of that with his hilarious take on Brady’s return to New England earlier this year.
Photo: Sep 26, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Former New England Patriots Julian Edelman is honored during halftime against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
