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Matthew Slater & Julian Edelman Discuss a Delicate Trait of Bill Belichick That Is Rarely Talked About

Samnur Reza
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Matthew Slater & Julian Edelman Discuss a Delicate Trait of Bill Belichick That Is Rarely Talked About

With how the media has portrayed him over the years, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if a football enthusiast like yourself pictured Bill Belichick as a grumpy old football coach. Now, with the release of the ‘Dynasty’ docu-series, the former Patriots head man has once again faced the fury. While some believe that the downfall of the franchise occurred because of him, others feel that he was the sole reason why Tom Brady left Foxborough. His former players, however, do not feel the same way, especially Julian Edelman and Matthew Slater.

During their recent banter session on the ‘Games with Names‘ podcast, the wideout duo delved into how their head coach, Bill Belichick, always took care of his players. Edelman initially posed the question to Slater about whether he had the retirement talk with Bill before hanging up his cleats this year. The now-former special team captain acknowledged that his former head coach isn’t really a sentimental individual, but he still let Bill know about retiring this year.

Just before stepping onto the field one last time, Slater knew it was time for him to call it quits, and he approached Bill and expressed his gratitude for all the years they spent together. He also noted that he had a very good relationship with his head coach and the latter never shied away from extending his supporting hands. Edelman, at that very moment, revealed something that isn’t typically discussed about the 6-time Super Bowl-winning head coach.

Did you not instantly feel a switch flip when he knew you were gonna retire?” Edelman asked.

Edelman then recalled the exact moment he had his retirement talk with Bill. He initially felt that he would get typical coach talk from Bill, but that wasn’t at all the case. “He was like—nourishing,” Edelman revealed. The ex-wideout emphasized how unexpected it might be for some to even think of Belichick reacting that way, but it was consistent — he was, without fail, supportive towards every player in his system.

Matthew Slater was Always Intimidated By Bill Belichick

The three-time Super Bowl-winning wideout revealed that he was actually ‘intimidated’ by his head coach, as he is known to have a strong demeanor. Yet, there were more than a few moments when Bill significantly surprised him whether with his supportive or thoughtful nature.

There was always a part of me that was a little bit intimidated by him when he cane to coach. He is such a strong figure,” Slater said. “But there was moments that he surprised me all the time with how supportive he was or thoughtful he was about different things. And I think that doesn’t get talked about enough.

Ever since the release of the docu-series, the focus has shifted back to Bill Belichick, who, after a 24-year-long stint, has nowhere to call home. He has been vilified out of proportion by constantly getting his name dragged through the mud. However, several former players like Edelman, Slater, Rob Gronkowski, and even the owner of the club, Robert Kraft, have expressed a different perspective.

Surely the debate will rage on for the rest of eternity, but for now, the one thing that truly matters is for Belichick to find a new team to coach. Every head coach vacancy has been filled this year; therefore, we have to wait till the next cycle for an answer.

About the author

Samnur Reza

Samnur Reza

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Samnur Reza is an NFL editor for The SportsRush. He holds a degree in English Honors and joined The SportsRush editorial team in 2023. Having previously worked as a freelancer and several media outlets, Samnur has been religiously following the National Football League for the past six and a half years. Samnur first started following football after Tom Brady's cameo in Ted 2. It wasn’t long before he found himself grabbing a bucket of popcorn to enjoy football games. He still vividly remembers his first-ever fixture: a 2011 matchup between the Patriots and Raiders, where Brady led his team to a 31-19 victory. Even so, Samnur believes Brady’s best performance came against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, a game he still revisits from time to time. Samnur diligently follows most NFL athletes, their family members, and even the NCAA. Thus, he considers himself a diverse writer, having covered almost every corner of the football world. He does, however, have a special interest in athlete-centric stories. Whenever they engage in off-field ventures or charitable activities, Samnur enjoys reading and writing about them. Samnur had already authored over 850 NFL-based articles before becoming an editor. His editorial journey began just a little over a year ago. Beyond football, Samnur is a true cinephile with an extensive repertoire of films. He’s also fond of cats and has a furry friend named ‘Eva.’ During his free time, Samnur enjoys playing video games, currently immersed in God of War: Ragnarök. Having recently learned how to ride a bike, he now wishes to travel almost everywhere on it.

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