Former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman accused former teammate Wes Welker of “trying to make up stories” about their playing days due to his bias against longtime New England coach Bill Belichick.
During the latest installment of his “Games With Names” podcast, Edelman discussed Apple TV+’s “The Dynasty: New England Patriots” documentary — which delved into the past 20 years of the franchise that included six Super Bowl titles — with former wideout Matthew Slater, and alleged Welker lied about Belichick’s relationship with the late Aaron Hernandez.
“Welker’s out here saying like Aaron Hernandez got away with murder — figuratively speaking — at practice; that’s not even true,” Edelman said. “Welker painted the picture he [Hernandez] was like the king, like he got to do anything.
Warning: Explicit language
“I remember Bill motherf–king Aaron all the time. Come on, Welk. Trying to make up stories. We know you don’t like Bill.”
In the docuseries, Welker said: “I remember thinking like, ‘Why does he [Belichick] love this guy?’ I don’t get it. I don’t get it. But when you’re that talented, a lot of people put up with a lot of stuff.”
Slater wouldn’t comment on Welker and Belichick’s relationship.
“Wes, I ain’t even saying nothing, man, I’m just sipping my water,” Slater said, to which Edelman replied, “I love him too but it’s clear he hates Bill.”
Edelman and Slater were teammates with Welker for four seasons before Welker moved on with the Denver Broncos in the 2013 season.
Edelman’s “Games With Names” podcast posted a clip of the former Patriots players discussing Welker’s comments in the 10-part docuseries with the caption: “Two sides to every story.”
In April 2015, Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
Hernandez died by suicide in his prison cell at the age of 27 on April 19, 2017.
Belichick has faced criticism since the release of “The Dynasty,” which many said portrays him in an unfavorable light.
Slater, who also appeared in “The Dynasty,” explained that he didn’t know how to feel about the final product and defended Belichick for his coaching style.
“I haven’t watched it,” Slater said to Edelman, laughing. “This is interesting, this ‘Dynasty’… I’m not sure how I feel about everything. I know there are some comments that I made on there that made it seem like Bill was this demanding presence, and he was — but I also want people to see that there are multiple sides to Bill and it’s tough because I feel like he’s being portrayed in a certain light.
“We’re painting a picture but we’re only showing people part of the picture. With coach, it’s very complex and there are things that were tough and I’m sure we all may feel like, ‘Hey maybe we wish we had done things this way,’ but let’s make sure none of us forget the fact that the dynasty is not even being talked about without Bill Belichick and the things that he did were with intentionality and purpose.”
Edelman wasn’t the only former Patriots player who has been critical of the docuseries.
Former Patriots safeties Devin McCourty and Rodney Harrison discussed on a recent podcast that they weren’t pleased with the program’s outcome.
McCourty said he felt “duped” after watching the 10-part docuseries because it only touched on the team’s lows, while Harrison said he spent hours being interviewed only to have a short cameo.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft also said he was “a little disappointed” with the project.
Deflategate was a plot point in “The Dynasty,” the saga in which Brady was suspended for four games in 2016 for allegedly instructing the deflation of footballs used in the 2014 AFC Championship game.
The docuseries then touched on the eventual divorce between Belichick and Tom Brady, when the former quarterback took his talents to the Buccaneers in March 2020 following 20 seasons with the Patriots.
Belichick, 71, and the Patriots mutually parted ways in January after 24 seasons — and a 4-13 record in the 2023 season, the franchise’s worst since 1992.
The future Hall of Famer still wants to coach.
