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Week 4 is not even here, but the matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots is already brewing up, courtesy of Tom Brady.
The first matchup between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is going to be epic. Brady left the New England Patriots after two decades with the franchise. It separated him from the only head coach he ever had during his Patriots career. Together, they won six Super Bowls, went to another three, and are highly regarded as the best QB-coach duo in the history of the NFL.
The pair separated in March 2020, when Brady became a free agent for the first time in his 20-year career after he and Belichick failed to get a contract extension after the 2019 season. Brady moved on to the Buccaneers, where he won one more Super Bowl, and Belichick and the Patriots did not even reach the playoffs.
Julian Edelman thinks of Brady and Belichick opposing each other as a family barbecue
The main talking point will be Brady and Belichick when game week comes. However, for those who have lived close to the pair for so long, it's going to be weird to see them competing against each other.
Julian Edelman is one of those people. The recently-retired wide receiver played his entire career for the Patriots from when he was undrafted in 2009 until his retirement in April this year. He told reporters how weird it was going to be when Brady walks into the Gillette Stadium as an opponent. Edelman told reporters on a Zoom call Thursday
“It's definitely gonna be weird. It’s like going to a family barbecue, or like a basketball event, and you’re the stepkid, or you’re the kid who has divorced parents, and your mom and dad are there, and you don’t know how to react. Are they gonna fight? Are they not gonna fight? “It's going to be interesting, but I’m excited for it. Who's not excited for it. It’s gonna be an exciting game.”
Edelman will be honored by the Patriots during a halftime ceremony during Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints. However, there's no confirmation about whether he's going to be present for the Brady-Belichick contest in Week 4. He has already declared that he's going to cheer for the Patriots, his former team.
Edelman spent his entire career in New England. He won three championships and became one of Brady's best friends as a slot receiver, especially because of his production in the playoffs. He retired in 2021 because of a knee injury.
