"We’re like partners in crime. That’s my boy" - Tom Brady absolutely admires former teammate Wes Welker
Tom Brady was fortunate to play alongside two of the most renowned slot receivers in NFL history with the New England Patriots. Julian Edelman carried the mantle between 2013 and 2019. But Wes Welker was Brady's original slot receiver. To this day, the two remain best friends.
In Brady's documentary, Man in the Arena, Brady talks in-depth about Welker. The two were never able to capture a Super Bowl title together. But that didn't stop them from forming a lifelong friendship. Brady opens up in a big way when talking about Welker in his documentary.
Tom Brady-
“If I’m starting a team to go to battle with, Wes Welker is in that starting lineup.”
Welker is one of the Patriots greats, he shouldn’t be defined by that SB drop https://t.co/Mfkr86dznK
Tom Brady admires former teammate Wes Walker
The conversation surrounding Welker came as a result of discussing Welker's most costly drop. In the 2012 Super Bowl, Welker dropped a pass that would've put the Patriots in the red zone. The rest is history as the New York Giants went on to win the game.
But the three-time MVP doesn't hold that against Welker in the present day. The two are incredibly tight. Brady said,
“We’re like partners in crime. That’s my boy,” Brady said. “We’re there talking about football every night. He’s coming over to my house for dinner. We’re talking about football.”
Although Tom Brady went on to win four Super Bowls after that game, Welker didn't have much postseason success after that play. Welker finished his career with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams but never won a Super Bowl.
Hey #nfl fans, wanna have your mind blown? I was watching #ManInTheArena and it pointed out something crazy to me. Wes Welker went to three super bowls. Two with Tom Brady, and one with Peyton Manning. He has ZERO superbowl rings! Two of those his QB had a record setting year
Brady's admiration for his former teammate continued. Out of all the teammates Brady has had in his 22-year career, Welker is one he'd choose in his starting lineup any day. He said,
“There was nobody who could define what being a great teammate was, what doing the right thing was, like Wes. Wes had the most amazing career for the Patriots, but we didn’t win the Super Bowls at those times. To me, that doesn’t take away from what his amazing career was, and what his contributions were. If I’m starting a team to go to battle with, Wes Welker is in that starting lineup.”
Welker and Brady's longstanding friendship has stood the test of time. No hard feelings were had for the dropped pass, although Welker admittedly said he struggles to this day to let it go.
Without Welker, Brady's career and the Patriots' history would likely have been very different.
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