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Tom Brady Sends Congratulations to Former Teammate Julian Edelman

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 6:02 PM ET

The New England Patriots created one of the NFL's most notorious dynasties, with much of the credit falling on quarterback Tom Brady. In his 20 years in New England, he made nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six.

However, he couldn't achieve all that success alone, and during that time, he had several talented players he could lean on, including wide receiver Julian Edelman.

Edelman was part of three of those Super Bowl wins, even winning the game's MVP for his performance in Super Bowl LIII.

On Saturday, Edelman was recognized for his efforts with the franchise, being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame, which Brady is also a member of.

Brady was unable to attend the ceremony, but did send Edelman a heartwarming message, which the Patriots posted on X.

“Julian, congratulations on being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame,” Brady said. “Such a well-deserved honor, and honestly, there’s nobody who’s more deserving and who embodies what it means to be a Patriot more than you… I love you and I’m proud of you.”

.@TomBrady congratulates @Edelman11!@TheHall | #NEPats pic.twitter.com/YDnrRmjaUR
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 20, 2025

In 12 years with New England, including 2017 wherein he did not play due to a torn ACL, Edelman carved out such a memorable role, hauling in 620 receptions, 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns. He spent his entire career with them, up until retiring after the 2020 season.

He's also a true underdog story, originally being selected in the seventh round in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Patriots. Considering Brady was a sixth-round pick, that shared battle through uncertainty is just another special connection the two share.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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