Julian Edelman: Brady suspension ‘like one of your buddies going to jail’

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is one of the New England players taking quarterback Tom Brady’s suspension hard, telling reporters that the quarterback’s absence is like a friend going to jail.

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is one of the New England players taking quarterback Tom Brady’s suspension hard, telling reporters that the quarterback’s absence is like a friend going to jail.  

“I’m not going to lie, it’s like one of your buddies going to jail,” Edelman said via ESPN. “It’s one of those type of things, and the whole situation is unfortunate, but it’s happened and we have to move on. Love him to death—on the field, off the field, he’s been a great help in my life. But we have to deal with the situation, and right now the situation is thinking about the Arizona Cardinals and who’s going to be out there to play against these guys.”

Brady’s four-game suspension or his role in the deflategate scandal started on Saturday, meaning he can have no contact with his teammates and coaches.

The team will be without the services of the two-time MVP for the first time since the 2008 season, when he tore his ACL and MCL.

Brady will return to the team on Oct. 3 and play his first game of the season in Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns.