Bill Belichick wants to hear unbiased analysis from Julian Edelman in the wideout’s new role as an NFL talking head.
During an appearance Friday on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast, the retired New England Patriots receiver shared some words of advice he received from his longtime head coach after beginning his post-playing career as an analyst for “Inside the NFL.”
“So I retired this offseason, and I haven’t seen (Belichick),” Edelman said. “I end up going to some little shindig, and he was there. It’s been publicized that I was doing ‘Inside the NFL’ for, like, five months. So he looks at me and he goes, ‘So, what are you up to now?’ I’m like, ‘I’m doing ‘Inside the NFL,’ ‘ And he looks at me and goes, ‘Oh, you’re doing media?’ And I go, ‘Yeah, you know, it’s going to be kind of fun.’
“I didn’t know what I could say to him. He’s scary. He’s intimidating. And so he goes, ‘Look, you can’t be a homer. … If you have to mother(expletive) us, you can mother(expletive) us.’ It felt like a mafia meeting. But it was cool. … He was telling me to do my job. But it was fresh out of a movie, like I was (in) ‘A Bronx Tale’ at an Italian restaurant and I see the old mob boss.”
Early in his “Inside the NFL” tenure, Edelman busted out his whiny-voiced Belichick impression. It was a hit with fans and his fellow hosts, but he wasn’t sure how the coach would react.
Turns out, Belichick can take a joke.
“I did have a couple things on the show ‘Inside the NFL’ where I was kind of mocking him,” Edelman said on “PMT.” “I did a voice, little impressions. So when I went back — I went back for a game (in Week 3) — I saw him, and I’m like, ‘Hey, Coach.’ I didn’t know how to react, because he said something in the media. (WEEI host) Greg Hill called him out and was like, ‘Hey, you hear about Edelman impersonating you?’ And he gave one of his (typical Belichick responses).
“So, like, I’m kind of sweating. I’m on the sideline before the game, and Coach comes up. I’m like, ‘Hey, Coach. You know I’m just messing around.’ And he’s like, ‘Ah, you’re all right.’ And I’m like, oh, we’re good. We’re golden. That means I’ve got to see where the line’s at. I’ve got to see where the line’s at. And I guess I haven’t hit that line yet.”
