Tom Brady may have seven rings, but apparently, he’s never had a proper drink with his two closest teammates. At least, that’s the roast coming from Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, who, years after hanging it up, are still waiting on their moment of real bonding with the G.O.A.T. Rewind to 2021, when Gronk was asked about his favorite off-field Brady memory. He didn’t bring up private jets or locker room antics. He picked the Kentucky Derby. Why? Because that was the one time he saw Brady take a shot. But guess what? He immediately regretted it. “Like, ‘I’m putting this alcohol in my body?’” Gronk said, mocking Brady’s reaction to the Fireball.

The man was in agony over a single sip. That moment, to Gronk, was priceless. Because, let’s be real, seeing Brady let loose was like spotting a unicorn in Foxborough. But now, on the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast, both Gronk and Edelman made it clear that even after all those years together, they never got that version of Tom. “He was pretty lame,” Edelman said, “except for when he won the Super Bowl for Tampa Bay and got hammered on a fcking boat. Where was that fcking Tom around us?” Gronk doubled down: “That’s why I went to Tampa. Just wanted that moment where I could actually get wasted with Tom. Guess what? He was on a separate boat. I still never had a drink with Tom.”

That cuts deep when you consider how much these two sacrificed to keep up with Tom Brady’s standard. Edelman once said he had to earn Tom’s trust by grinding through practice after practice, game after game. Gronk transformed his body, diet, and mindset to stay in sync with Brady’s obsessively disciplined lifestyle. And yet, after all the sweat, broken bones, and Super Bowl confetti, they got avocado ice cream instead of tequila shots.

So now, years removed from their playing days, Gronk and Edelman aren’t bitter—they’re just calling it like it is. The guy who threw them touchdowns, made them champions, and dragged them through film sessions was never the same guy who tossed the Lombardi Trophy from a yacht in Tampa. That Tom? He was a myth during the New England years. And to them, that’s still “bullsh*t.” But maybe Tom’s act of solo ‘party animal’ with the Bucs was nothing compared to what Gronk and Jules went on to do.

Tom Brady’s guys link up with the other guy

Julian Edelman’s never been one to hide how he feels. And back in 2024, he didn’t hold back on Games with Names. “I never liked Peyton Manning,” he said. Too polished. Too perfect. The golden boy with the NFL pedigree. You know the type—varsity starter since birth. Edelman? He was the walk-on kid from the Bay. Brady was, too. That’s why he rode with 12. That underdog DNA ran deep. Peyton? He was the guy you circled on the schedule just to ruin his night.

But then came the plot twist. One year later, Edelman shows up on Instagram not just smiling with Manning, but posing for Tiffany & Co.—yup, the people who make the actual Lombardi Trophy. And standing right beside him? Rob Gronkowski. Talk about a crossover episode. “Playing the field. Sorry @tombrady,” Edelman wrote. And just like that, the unthinkable happened: two of Brady’s foxhole guys, now arm-in-arm with the guy they spent a decade trying to beat.

So, how did this even happen? Maybe start with that ESPN moment when Peyton low-key claimed credit for one of New England’s most iconic plays. “They should’ve sent me a check every time they ran that play,” he joked to Belichick. And what did the Hoodie do? Laughed and agreed. Gronk’s trap pass? Peyton said it was his. Belichick gave the nod. Brady? He hit the comments with: “Checks in the mail.” No denials. Just a little football honesty and a lot of shade wrapped in charm. You know how it goes.

But now here they are—Manning, Edelman, and Gronk—making jewelry ads and sharing camera time like they’ve always been boys. And for Gronk, it’s kind of poetic. Last time he got near the Lombardi, he dented it after an Edelman pitch at Fenway. This time? It’s polished, paid, and Peyton-approved. As for Brady? He’s not in the frame. Just tagged… and maybe slightly iced out.