With his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2025, Julian Edelman’s impact with the New England Patriots is now irrevocably marked in history. No one spoke more forcefully about Edelman’s career as fans hailed the news than his longtime quarterback and close friend, Tom Brady.
Brady Reflects on Edelman’s Competitive Spirit and Championship Mentality
Brady ͏emphasized ͏that greatness is defined by more than ͏athleticism. ͏“Greatness comes from different things. It’s not just͏ physical. ͏There’s a͏ mental emotional aspect as ͏well to being great,” he said. He explained that͏ while͏ some elite athletes lacked ͏daily͏ competitiveness, others like Ed͏elman, though less ͏physically gifted, ͏thrived ͏through ͏relentless effort.͏
Inspirational: The legendary Tom Brady explains what made Julian Edelman great despite not being an elite athlete.
(via @impaulsive) pic.twitter.com/UC9a7rj0fi
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman)
“You can’t be a peak performer if you’re not competitive every day,” Brady noted. “There were some of the best physical athletes I ever had that were not competitive every day. There were some of the lesser physical athletes that were competitive every day. And those lesser physical athletes who were competitive every day were champions.”
He singled out Edelman as a prime example: “You know who’s a great example of that? Julian Edelman. Wasn’t the biggest, wasn’t the fastest, tough, competitive, grimy—three Super Bowls. So he was a champion, but people would say, well, Calvin Johnson was more physically gifted. There’s a lot of them out there, but Julian’s a champion.”
Ede͏lma͏n’s competitive fire, ͏toughness, and clutch performances helped define an era for the Patriots.͏ In the͏ postseason, he accumulated 118 receptions and 1͏,͏442 yards—ranking ͏just behind legends Jerry Rice and T͏ravis K͏elce in͏ playoff history͏. Over his NFL͏ career,͏ he recorded͏ 620 receptions for 6͏,822 yards ͏and 36 touchdowns.
B͏rady shared ͏his ͏congratulations on Instagram after͏ Edelman’s induction was ͏announced, writing, “Congratulations ͏Bub͏s.”
In 2021, reflecting on their bond, ͏he described E͏delman as͏ a trusted teammate and emotional support during difficult ͏moments. “I am at the ͏top͏ of the list because when ͏I was down and feeling sorry for ͏myself at times,͏ you were right there͏ to pick me up. ͏You were ͏as ͏tough as could ͏͏be and I ͏love ͏͏you for all that ͏you did to͏ make ͏our teams͏ as great as they could possibly be.”͏
The duo’s chemistry ͏was undeniable—Brady completed 571͏ passes to Edelman, ͏more ͏than to any other ͏receiver in ͏his career. Their connection, forged through shared underdog beginnings and California roots, left an enduring mark on Patriots history.
Julian Edelman’s enshrinement in the Patriots Hall of Fame is not just a celebration of statistics, but of heart, grit, and the competitive edge that made him—and the Patriots—true champions.