Former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman accused former teammate Wes Welker of trying to “make up” stories about his playing days out of prejudice against longtime New England coach Bill Belichick.
In his latest work, Podcast “A Game with a Name”Edelman spoke with former wideout Matthew Slater about the Apple TV+ documentary “The Dynasty: New England Patriots,” which explores the past 20 years of the series, including six Super Bowl championships. He claimed Welker lied about Belichick’s relationship with the late Aaron Hernandez. .
“Welker is here saying something like Aaron Hernandez got away with murder — figuratively speaking — in practice. That’s not even true,” Edelman said. “Welker painted his own picture. [Hernandez] He felt like a king and could do anything.
Warning: Explicit language
“I always remember Bill’s Mother King Aaron. Come on, Welk. You’re trying to make up a story. I know you don’t like Bill.”
In the documentary series Welker said: “I remember thinking, ‘Why would he? [Belichick] Do you love this man? I do not understand. I do not understand. But when you have that much talent, a lot of people put up with a lot of things. ”
Slater did not comment on the relationship between Welker and Belichick.
“Wes, I’m not saying anything, hey, I’m just sipping water,” Slater said, to which Edelman replied, “I love him too, but he clearly hates Bill.” ” he answered.
Edelman and Slater were teammates for four seasons before Welker was traded to the Denver Broncos for the 2013 season.
Edelman’s “Games With Names” podcast posted a clip of former Patriots players discussing Welker’s comments in a 10-part documentary series with the caption, “There are two sides to every story.”
In April 2015, Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Hernandez died by suicide in his prison cell on April 19, 2017, at the age of 27.
Belichick has faced criticism since the release of “The Dynasty,” with many saying the film paints him in an unfavorable light.
Slater, who also appeared on “The Dynasty,” defended Belichick’s coaching style, explaining that he didn’t know how to feel about the final product.
“I haven’t seen it yet,” Slater told Edelman with a laugh. “This is interesting, this ‘Dynasty’…I don’t know how I feel about the whole thing. I know there have been some comments that make it seem like Bill is such a demanding presence. But I also want people to see that there are many different sides to buildings, and that it’s difficult to do so in a certain light.
“We’re painting a picture, but we’re only showing people part of the picture. The coach thing was very complicated and difficult at times, and I’m sure everyone was thinking, ‘This is how I should have done it.’ You may think, “But let’s not forget the fact that this country was founded by a dynasty. It wouldn’t even be talked about without Bill Belichick, and what he did was done with intent and purpose. ”
Edelman wasn’t the only former Patriots player to criticize the docuseries.
Former Patriots safeties Devin McCourty and Rodney Harrison said on a recent podcast that they weren’t happy with how the show turned out.
McCourty said he felt “cheated” after watching the 10-part documentary because it only touched on the team’s weaknesses, while Harrison said he spent hours doing interviews just for a brief cameo. He said he had received it.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft also said he was “a little disappointed” with the project.
Deflategate is a plot point in The Dynasty, the story in which Brady was suspended for four games in 2016 for allegedly instructing the deflation of footballs used in the 2014 AFC Championship game. was.
The docuseries then touched on Belichick and Tom Brady’s eventual divorce, with the former quarterback taking his talents to the Buccaneers in March 2020 after 20 seasons with the Patriots.
Belichick, 71, and the Patriots mutually parted ways in January after 24 seasons, but the Patriots went 4-13 in 2023, the franchise’s worst record since 1992.
The future Hall of Famer still wants to coach.
