When Tom Brady launched his YouTube channel last September and invited Julian Edelman on for a film room session, things got testy fast. In a throwback clip of their Patriots days, Brady playfully—but firmly—called out his former receiver for blowing a route. “You were supposed to run a cross!” Brady barked, clearly still salty. Edelman tried to deny it, but Brady doubled down: “I have the F*cking playbook. We’ve seen it. It’s in my office.” A funny moment, indeed. But it also said a lot: Brady still cares a lot about the details. Even in retirement.

That bit of ribbing, though hilarious, hinted at a deeper truth that Brady’s expectations of Edelman were always sky-high. So, when the Pats officially announced Edelman as their 37th inductee into the Hall of Fame this month, there was no question Brady would be front and center. And sure enough, he was. In spirit, through a heartfelt tribute in his weekly newsletter, 199.

“There’s a lot about Julian that people don’t know and don’t remember,” Brady began, laying the foundation. “They don’t remember that he was drafted in the middle of the seventh round. They don’t remember that he was a scrambling quarterback all through high school and for three years at Kent State…and he was great at it. His senior year, he broke the school’s single-season yardage record.” It’s classic Brady—pulling from the overlooked corners of Edelman’s past to show that the guy didn’t just land in the league as a ready-made weapon.

But Brady didn’t stop at Edelman’s college stats. He zoomed in on the one trait that defined them both: being underestimated. “I think the chip on the shoulder it gave us has been far more valuable than if we were blessed with all of the great physical attributes,” Brady wrote. “Because it forced us to develop those intangible mental and emotional traits that are the difference between good players and great players, and between great players and champions.” If anyone knows what it means to win with less-than-elite tools, it’s the guy who went 199th overall and still ended up with seven rings.

Still, Brady couldn’t resist bringing it full circle, back to those mental lapses Edelman was occasionally guilty of. “Do I wish Julian possessed greater natural ability to read the playbook and remember his assignments? Sure,” he admitted. “But his energy, effort, and grit produced some hilarious moments, some historic wins, and even more amazing memories.” That’s Brady confirming the same frustration he voiced on YouTube last fall.

But here’s the thing: frustration or not, Brady’s respect for Edelman is crystal clear. He knows Jules wasn’t built in a lab like some of today’s wideouts. He was raw, undersized, and not particularly fast. Yet he carved out a 12-year career, caught 620 balls, won three rings, and pulled down a Super Bowl MVP.

So yeah, Tom Brady and Julian Edelman might still argue about route trees and busted assignments. But beneath the jokes and jabs they know that their bond runs deep. One that’s forged in dynasty fire. Brady may wish Edelman had studied the playbook more. But he also knows that, in the moments that mattered most, Julian always showed up.

Tom Brady knows who he’s having as his weapon

Tom Brady didn’t dodge. He didn’t deflect. On Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, the seven-time Super Bowl champ did what few dare to do—he put Julian Edelman in a conversation above Calvin Johnson. That’s right. Megatron. And no, this wasn’t about flashy stats or Combine metrics. It was about something deeper. Something Brady’s built his legacy on.

“Greatness comes from different things,” Brady said. “It’s not just physical.” And with that, he tore open the age-old debate: talent vs. toughness. So, Calvin Johnson? Built in a lab. Edelman? Built in the dark—late nights, hard cuts, catching Brady’s trust, not just footballs. Brady didn’t sugarcoat it. “There were some of the best physical athletes I ever had that were not competitive every day,” he said. “Those lesser physical athletes who were competitive every day were champions.”

Meanwhile, here’s the side-by-side statistical comparison between the two.

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Julian Edelman (New England Patriots)

• Games Played: 137
• Receptions: 620
• Receiving Yards: 6,822
• Yards per Catch: 11.0
• Touchdowns: 36

Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions)

• Games Played: 135
• Receptions: 731
• Receiving Yards: 11,619
• Yards per Catch: 15.9
• Touchdowns: 83

Clearly, the numbers favor Calvin. But never forget that Julian Edelman did not make the pro-football thinking he’d be the guy of TB12. A college quarterback turned slot-machine receiver. Not the biggest. Not the fastest. But Brady swore by his fight. “Tough, competitive, grimy,” he said. Three rings later, it’s hard to argue.

Nonetheless, it’s not a knock on Johnson as Brady doesn’t play that game. But he’s just redefining what better means. “Everyone gets to define it how they want to,” he added. In his world, rings matter. Grit matters more than glamour. Edelman, to him, wasn’t just a receiver. He was a weapon. And for a guy like Brady? That’s everything.