Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion who is considered the GOAT in the NFL has bid farewell to the league. But the discussions about whether he is deserving of these titles and acknowledgment or not have not ended.
Recently, ESPN NFL analyst Alex Smith took a jab at the former QB declaring that his achievements are a product of the “most uncompetitive division in NFL history.” Julian Edelman, former WR came forward to defend Brady by belittling Smith.
Julian Edelman defends Tom Brady against Alex Smith’s comments
Alex Smith criticized Tom Brady, claiming that he had an easy ride to the playoffs due to playing in what he considers the most noncompetitive division in NFL history.
“He played in the most uncompetitive division in NFL history. I mean, you come out of training camp in the biggest cupcake division, you got a ticket to the playoffs right away. Like, talk about mediocre,” Smith said about the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
Julian Edelman defended Brady on Cam Newton’s show, highlighting that Smith is not the right person to make such comments about the GOAT (Greatest of All Time).
“He can say what he wants, but you know, you got to think about it like this – for 20 years, each one of those teams designed their team to try to beat us every single year,” the former WR said.
Julian Edelman stated that Alex is not even the right guy to talk about Tom Brady, “You’re not THAT guy, pal. You’re not that guy, Alex.”
While acknowledging Smith’s success, Edelman subtly downplayed it by suggesting it was “easy to get there,” attributing part of Smith’s success to the road paved by the Patriots. Julian belives it was Alex whose journey in the NFL was easy and not the other way around.
Tom Brady’s biggest rivals in the AFC
After a remarkable career, Tom Brady retired from the NFL. Now, he is focusing on his kids and post-retirement ventures. As the discussions about his career continue, let’s delve into Tom Brady’s biggest rivals in the AFC.
Miami Dolphins – Jay Fielder
Brady and Fielder faced each other from 2000 to 2004 when Jay Fiedler was the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins. During this time, they had a strong rivalry. After that Fielder played for the Jets and a year later retired from the NFL.
Buffalo Bills – Drew Bledsoe
The interesting fact about this rivalry between Bledsoe and Brady during 2002-04 is that Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe as the starting QB of the New England Patriots. Drew Bledsoe then competed against the seven-time Super Bowl champion as the starting QB of the Bills.
New York Jets – Brett Favre
Brett Favre spent the 2008 NFL season with the Jets and competed against Tom Brady during this time. Brady defeated Brett Favre and the Jets at home game but in the same season, he was also defeated by Brett at Gillette Stadium.
Indianapolis Colts – Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are considered the greatest quarterbacks in the league and the rivalry between the greatest must be iconic. They both faced each other as conference rivals. Manning with his team competed against Brady and on multiple occasions, their rivalry was on full display on the gridiron.
Tom Brady had a remarkable NFL career and undoubtedly had some of the biggest rival teams to beat to achieve the success he has today. While some people will continue to criticize the seven-time Super Bowl champion and keep questioning his worth, his career stats and achievements are the best answer to their critique.
