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Edelman on life without Brady: ‘The train keeps moving’

Field Level Media

August 10, 2020 at 7:56 pm.

Julian Edelman acknowledged Monday that things are a little different in Patriots training camp without his longtime friend and quarterback, Tom Brady, but that doesn’t mean New England isn’t ready to get down to business.

“Obviously we played a lot of football together and I love him to death, but the train keeps moving, as it will when I’m not playing here,” Edelman told reporters about Brady in his first interview since January.

“Obviously it was a little different scenario, but you got to move on and understand it’s the business. You have to worry about the people we have here, and try to prepare ourselves the best we can.”

Brady left in the offseason to quarterback the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Edelman said he’s confident in the abilities of Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer and former league MVP Cam Newton, who signed as a free agent this offseason.

Coach Bill Belichick hasn’t named a starter for the Patriots, who are scheduled to open the season Sept. 13 against the Miami Dolphins in Foxborough, Mass.

“You have Hoyer, who has played here. He’s been in the system,” said Edelman, 34, who is entering his 11th season with the Patriots. “You have Stidham, who has a year under his belt. And you have Cam, this guy is a heck of a football player. This isn’t his first year playing football. This guy is a former MVP who has played in a lot of big games.

“I have a lot of faith in our coaching staff, along with some of the veteran players, to go out and do our best to try to prepare everyone the best we can. That’s what this season is going to be about — about addressing and overcoming certain situations everyone is having to deal with. We have a long road ahead of us, but if we just keep on bringing our hard hat and lunch pail to work, and coming in with a purpose, that’s usually when good things happen.”