Who remembers Drew Bledsoe? Not too many, given the former Patriots quarterback was replaced in 2001 by someone more famous— NFL legend Tom Brady. The circumstances of Brady’s entry into the scene were not ideal. He replaced Bledsoe after the latter got injured because of a painful collision with Mo Lewis. This resulted in a concussion, a collapsed lung, and internal bleeding. But despite Bledsoe’s recovery, coach Bill Belichick favored Brady, leading to Bledsoe’s benching. Now, it’s history how Bledsoe’s injury paved the way for a legendary legacy in the Patriots.

However, Bledsoe recently surprised everyone with his sporting nature at Brady’s roast on Netflix. After all, many had expected animosity between the two. He stole the show with his witty and sharp jokes. In fact, he even kicked off the roast by declaring, “I hate Tom Brady like Andrew Schutz’s barber hates him.”

It seems Netflix provided a platform for Bledsoe to rant and compensated him for his entertaining performance. But how much did he get paid for his dream job? During the ‘Kaplan and Crew’ show, the hosts questioned whether he was “paid as an actor” for his appearance on Netflix’s The GROAT.

Bledsoe stated, “Yeah, we got paid a little bit. I know that it was probably a freaking fraction of what like Tom and Kevin made. But they threw a little cheddar our way.“ While he didn’t say exactly how much he was paid, it seems like a sweet deal, given that Bledsoe poured his heart out on the roast stage. 

Drew Bledsoe started his football career with a relatively small $8 million contract but later built a thriving vineyard business, leading to a total net worth of $35 million. Surely, the roast money would have been more than just “cheddar”. But what made this millionaire agree to participate in the Tom Brady roast?

On Kaplan and Crew, Bledsoe shared that someone initially approached him from Brady’s team, but he hesitated due to commitments at his vineyard. Regardless, when they offered to send a private plane, Bledsoe jokingly admitted, “Okay, I can be pretty flexible with somebody else’s private airplane.”

So Bledsoe was paid, flew in a private airplane, and even got to roast Tom Brady? Bledsoe is the winner here!

Drew Bledsoe’s ultimate payback time is a thing to remember!

Drew Bledsoe was the first of Brady’s ex-teammates to kick off the roast with a bang, setting the comedic tone for the night. Bledsoe wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room — that Brady essentially took his job. With a hint of sarcasm, he said, “Tom, I’m really glad that you enjoyed all this amazing success with the team that I built.“ However, Bledsoe didn’t stop there.

He playfully reminded Brady of “a couple of things“ he would never experience: being “the No. 1 overall draft pick in the NFL and celebrating a 28th wedding anniversary.“ Of course, he had to throw in a couple of Gisele Bundchen jokes. The audience, including Brady himself, erupted in laughter. 

While getting paid to roast Brady might seem like a dream gig, it wasn’t all bliss for Bledsoe. The roast also included jabs directed at him, particularly a skit where Bill Belichick benched him, saying, “It’s not your night. Sorry, Drew.“ Bledsoe was likely paid hefty to revisit this not-so-great memory in front of a large audience.

But no, things don’t stop there. Bledsoe has given a couple of interviews after his stint on the show and he keeps sharing hilarious stories about Brady. On the Up & Adams show, the former Patriots QB recalled how he once met Brady and Bundchen on a skiing trip in Montana. “I can see Tom… I could tell which one he was because he was wearing this terrible Under Armour outfit. There’s somebody with him who’s obviously female, so I know that’s Gisele, but I’ve never met her,” he started. As he skied downhill, he wanted to spray Brady but instead covered Bundchen with snow.

However, all jokes apart, Bledsoe shares a good relationship with Bundchen. During the ski trip, she let him know how much they talked about him in their house. They have a lot of admiration for Drew Bledsoe.