“If Alex Guerrero Said Eat a Turd…”: Julian Edelman Gets Honest About Tom Brady’s Healthy Lifestyle

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is peerless in the modern NFL. His three Super Bowl victories are more than the rest of the league’s 2024 Week 1 starting quarterbacks combined (2—Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers). Until proven otherwise, Mahomes is the GOAT of this era. His primary aspiration now is surpassing Tom Brady to become the greatest signal-caller in league history.

Mahomes still has a long way to go to do that, however. He must throw 404 more touchdown passes and accumulate nearly 67,000 more passing yards to reach Brady’s heights. Even if the Chiefs successfully three-peat in February, he’ll still hold three fewer Super Bowl rings than Brady. That’s because Brady maintained high-level performance through his age-45 season. An unprecedented feat!

Brady’s former teammate, offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger (2009-10) asked Julian Edelman how Brady was able to remain a dominant force through his mid-40s on the Games with Names podcast. In response, Edelman attributed Brady’s longevity to the well-known TB12 diet — created alongside trainer Alex Guerrero — and the NFL’s increased emphasis on protecting quarterbacks.

“His health and wellness lifestyle. That’s real… he wouldn’t put anything in his body that he didn’t think was great. Whatever Alex said, he did that. If Alex said ‘eat a turd, this will make you heal faster’, [he would have]… also, I think a lot of it has to do with the rule changes. He’s the first QB that went from the ‘medieval time football’ to what it is now… that’s a testament to his hard work.”

Edelman isn’t lying about Brady experiencing ‘medieval’ football. Defenses treated quarterbacks like ragdolls early in his career. One of the most notable hits he absorbed came late in the 2001 campaign. In Week 14, Buffalo Bills cornerback Nate Clements leveled Brady as he went into a half-slide. Brady’s helmet got knocked off and catapulted five yards backward on the play.

This occurred in Brady’s first year as the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback. The hit would draw flags from every official on the field these days. Back then, it didn’t garner a single one. Despite this, Brady got back to his feet, shook it off, and helped the Patriots win 12-9 in overtime.

Clements’ hit preceded Brady’s relationship with Guerrero, but Edelman’s point stands. Had Brady not effectively managed his body throughout his football life, he wouldn’t have dominated in his 40s. Mahomes isn’t known for subscribing to such dietary restrictions. There’s no one path to success, but if he wants to catch Brady, a similar regimen may soon be on the horizon.