Julian Edelman’s storied career with the Patriots came to an end after he announced his retirement after 12 NFL seasons. While Edelman had many great times during his career, he had some unpleasant experiences as well. And recently he described his worst experience with HC Bill Belichick.
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Following Edelman’s retirement back in April, the 21-year New England head coach gave a glowing review for one of his favorite WR targets. “By any measure of what constitutes an elite NFL career – wins, championships, production – Julian has it all,” Belichick said, per NBC Sports Boston. “Few players can match Julian’s achievements, period, but considering his professional trajectory and longevity, the group is even more select. It is historic.”
Julian Edelman spoke about his worst experience with Bill Belichick.
During an appearance on former Patriots teammate Chris Long’s “Green Light Podcast,” Edelman was asked to recall the worst film-room tongue-lashing he received from Belichick during his 12 years in New England.
The retired wideout got into a brawl with cornerback Stephon Gilmore and were kicked out of training camp in 2017. The 2 got into a fight after the whistle and ripped off each other’s helmets after a contested incompletion and had to be separated by teammates and staffers.
Belichick ripped into him at the team’s next film session.
“I got in a fight with Gilmore,” Edelman recounted. “(Belichick) puts it on, and he’ll just sit and rewind it like 45 times with silence — silence! And then when he stands up, there’s a guy that his job is to go run and turn the lights on. So it’s, like, majestically turning on.
“So he sits and rewinds it like 45 times. And then he stands up and he goes, ‘What the (expletive) are we doing? We can’t have this.’ He’s just going on and just wringing me like, ‘You know what, Edelman? You over here think you’re a tough guy.’ Just getting on me in front of the team. But I think low-key, he loved it.”
This probably wasn’t the only experience that Edelman had with Coach Belichick. But regardless of the spats, Edelman won 3 Super Bowls with the Patriots and was the Super Bowl MVP in 2019.
