Julian Edelman

The Lions are not currently the best team in the NFL because of the Aidan Hutchinson injury

I don't think they're the best team in the NFL... The Hutchinson's injury though does concern me. Like against bad football teams, you don't need a pass rush... but I'm concerned of those games when they have to play against a Lamar Jackson may be in a Super Bowl or you know, a Brock Purdy or, or or a a Jordan Love... can they stop 'em in the red? They need to get a three points in the red area. They can't give up a touchdown. Can they stop 'em in the red area? I don't think so right now.

Dan Campbell needs to evolve and stop taking unnecessary risks like fake punts

I love Dan Campbell, but he needs to evolve his play color. His, his, his coaching style. He, he, he can't act like he's a the hunter anymore. He's being hunted. You know, you, you're the good team. Your culture's in place. We don't have to run a fake punt in the opening drive... when you, me, everyone in the goddamn stadium knew it was gonna be a fake fucking punt.

Matthew Stafford is a first-ballot Hall of Famer

I think he's a first battle hall of famer, man. He's a stud... I feel like he's like a Aaron [Rodgers] and [Mahomes] hybrid where like he gets that pop that, that Aaron got. But he also has been changing arm angles and doing No looks back in Detroit 10, 15 years ago.

The 49ers lack mental toughness and play like they've already won a Super Bowl

San Francisco's kind of disappointed Me too though, honestly... they act like they've already won the Super Bowl, like the way they play and stuff. To me, they need a little more mental toughness. There's always a a story out there. Someone's hurt, someone's shot, someone's this, someone's that... How can you focus on the games? We don't, we don't focus on anything but what's going on outside the game.

The Steelers resemble the Legion of Boom era Seahawks teams

Pittsburgh's sneaky man... that team right now reminds me and gives me like, not, I'm not saying they are, but it's like those legion of being boom, super Bowl teams. Russ Wilson throws a teardrop here, deep ball there. He's got an explosive receiver to get a good run game and play really good defensive special teams. Like that's how they won in Seattle.

Bill Belichick will definitely return to coaching in the NFL

Hell yeah. [Is he going to coach again?] He's definitely gonna coach again... I do think he, he, he loves football and he wants to coach man. I think this could be all part of his, his master trick of trying to get back in and show that he's like young and cool... if I was a gambling man, I think he'd be a, he, he, he [will coach].

I hate my catch against the Falcons in the Super Bowl because I ran a bad route

I honestly, it's a lucky play. Like, I don't, like, I like watching plays that like, I got blown up or something and I just hung on with the ball... I don't like that play. [PFT Commenter: Why?] Because it was a bad route. I middle read, I didn't bop my guy to the bow route... I bananaed my route. You gotta make him feel like you're hitting that bow route... it was a bad route, so I don't like it.

Drew Bledsoe still throws the ball 1,000 miles an hour even though he's 50 years old

Hey, I threw with Drew Bledsoe. [Hank: He was throwing a thousand miles an hour.] Still zips it, bro. [Hank: Was he just like, here's a catch here, it's going 90 miles an hour?] No, we were literally... and there's a ball there and we just started throwing... that dude's got the centrifugal force on his ball... he's 50 years old and he still could still zip it.

Brian Hoyer throws the most catchable ball of any quarterback I played with

You know who actually threw a real catchable ball? Brian Hoyer did... He had this little pat thing. He threw a real catchable ball. Mallet used to throw a real heavy, heavy like hard ball... but yeah, Hoyer threw a real catchable ball.

Gronk is actually a savant with numbers

I'm telling you right now. Gronk knows numbers, bro... whenever we used to talk contracts... I would always bust his balls like, yo, what's square root of this, Gronk? 144. He'd be like 12, dude! Like, he really knows numbers pretty well, dude. Not joking.

Ron Rivera will be fired by the Commanders

Do you think Ron Rivera will get fired? Yeah, I do.

Bill Belichick coaching for a team other than the Patriots is a looming reality

Could you see Bill Belichick coaching for any team, but the New England Patriots next year? I mean, I think it's a reality that's gonna, that's gonna come, you know, I won't believe it until it's done. But it it, when the media starts getting on this and starts talking about it where there's smoke, there's fire. And I just hope it's handled correctly.

Jerod Mayo is one of the smartest football players I ever played with

Jerod, he, he's one of the smartest football players I played with. You know, he was the guy that was helping me get lined up when I was playing DB. I'd look at him, he's [saying] cover fucking five, get over there. You know, so Jerod knows football.

Drops are contagious among wide receivers

Are drops contagious? They are. I, I, I, I honestly think it's not just one thing that you fix it, it, it comes down to, you know, guys working together to execute a play. ... It ultimately comes down to just practice and preparation.

The 49ers are beatable if you run the ball effectively and keep their offense off the field

You gotta run the ball against them. ... You do not want to get on a hole against that defensive line that only has to rush four. And then you can get all that crazy scheme of the defense behind and they fly. ... You gotta keep that offense off the field. You know, and that's what the running game does as well.

The Ravens are the biggest threat to the 49ers in a Super Bowl matchup

Lamar Jackson is just a game plan killer. Right. You know, he can go take a game over, you know, and especially if he's, you know, Odell, when when the lights are bright, you know, odells gonna come out and he's gonna start bawling. ... I think they're a scary football team ... Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are 19 and 5 against the spread as an underdog.

Brock Purdy is the NFL MVP

How do we talk about Brock Purdy? Is he the MVP? I mean, right now he, he probably is. That's a, I mean that the MVP's always a quarterback, right. ... You have to give credit to what Brock Purdy's doing. You have to, you have to, you know, the, this whole game manager thing, people don't realize it's more like a game operator.

NFL teams cannot just 'flip the switch' in the playoffs

Guys are just gonna flip the switch and it never happens like that. You are what you are. And that's the honest truth with football... Belichick used to say it, 'You can't just take a fucking Gatorade before practice and turn it on.'... Teams cannot turn it on.

Bill O'Brien is a great hire for the Patriots because he understands the standard

I think it's a great move for the Patriots because [Bill O'Brien] understands the standard. He's been in the situation of being a coach in the organization... and he's also been a head coach... he single-handedly developed Deshaun Watson, made him a $250 million quarterback.

Patrick Mahomes will not be able to practice physically before the AFC Championship

I don't think he's gonna physically be able to practice. I mean, they're gonna try to get that swelling out the whole week... I sprained my ankle and it wasn't even a real bad high ankle and I was out for like four weeks.

The 49ers will beat the Eagles in the NFC Championship

I like the Niners against Philadelphia. Niners defense... the linebackers for the Niners are insane. It's gonna be a bloodbath... I'm taking the Niners. I'm taking Kyle Shanahan over Sirianni. That's why I'm taking the Niners.

The Bengals will beat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship

I'm going with Bengals and it has to do with the ankle of Patrick Mahomes. I mean, that's gonna be a tough task... that Bengals team, they got a swagger, they got a confidence. They don't have excuses.

Josh Allen is better prepared than other QBs because he actually plays in the preseason

The bills played in the preseason... you saw Josh Allen go out and lead his team to touchdown drives every time he was out there, he looked very comfortable. Comfortable game looks slowed him. And that's because he is prepared.

The Raiders will win the AFC West

Raiders are winning the AFC West. I'm a believer in the ecosystem that they have over there. I think Derek Carr is, I think he's a good football player. Last year they showed a lot of mental toughness... with McDaniels and Devante Adams going over there... they were smooth.

The Patriots' offense will have a learning curve with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge calling plays

This is gonna be a learning experience. Calling plays on the offense side of the ball is, is very different... the rhythm of play calling and the relationship between the quarterback and play call is a fucking, that's like a skill... it hasn't looked very good in the pre-season I'm not gonna lie. [Mac Jones] just doesn't look comfortable back there.

The Vikings will win the NFC North

I like Minnesota winning the north. Kevin O'Connell... always a smart guy, always knew Xs and Os. I like, I like, I liked them. I think Jefferson is, is outrageous. Outrageous.

The Rams will struggle this year; the Super Bowl hangover is real

I think the Rams are gonna struggle. I think, I think the hangover's real. And something's up with Stafford's elbow. The elbow did not—that doesn't look good. It looks jelly.

The Bills will win the Super Bowl over the Buccaneers

Bills versus the Bucks, but the Bills are gonna win. Bills are winning it... If they stay healthy, they're gonna be a problem.

The Chiefs' offense will be condensed and struggle more without Tyreek Hill

It's gonna be interesting to see them without Tyreek Hill... [Hill] opens up the field in so many different ways with that speed... When you lose that, it condenses the offense... I want to see if [Mahomes] got better at those things [throwing inside the pocket], because you're gonna have to do that. He's gonna have to have these long methodical drives.

The Bears should have hired an offensive coach to pair with Justin Fields instead of Matt Eberflus

I was looking at that and I was a little conflicted. You have a young quarterback and we've seen with all these other teams when they're surrounding these guys with those quarterback whispers, whatever you want to call it, these offensive minded coaches, we've seen a lot of success... I personally would have went to the opposite direction of [defensive minded].

Tom Brady has one more year of football left in him

I think he's got one more year. Cause it's like looking at the Bucs roster. It's family. Yeah. That's the family's tough. It's going to have to be really good for him... This is the most I've ever felt like he could probably hang them up, but you know what I mean? It wouldn't surprise me either way.

The 49ers will beat the Rams in the NFC Championship Game

I'm going Moneyline... San Francisco 49ers. They're going to win. Jimmy G is going to have a good game. I do. Kyle Shanahan is probably preaching to this guy... just take care of the ball.

You aren't a true 'dog' until your back is against the wall and you prove the doubters wrong

You can't go out there and be a dog until your ass is against the wall. People are hating on you and you go out and you prove them wrong. That's when you're a dog.

The Bengals are a 'team of destiny' and will beat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game

I'm going with the Bengals. Cause they're I think they're a team of destiny. Joe, Joe Burrow. This is the first number one pick to ever go to the AFC championship or a championship game into his third or second year.

NFL teams are over-relying on analytics and should prioritize taking points with field goals to build momentum

I hate that. Refusing to kick a field goal and go for on a fourth down... that caused the [Chargers] their season. There's a time and place. It has to be a win for the guys on the sidelines [to take the points]. You don't get it, and then you're probably going to go for it again.

I will never become a coach because knowing how it's done at the highest level would kill me

If I'm coaching, we've got some problems, guys. I already know how it's done at the highest level, it will kill me. I wouldn't be able to do it.

Jalen Hurts is not a long-term solution at quarterback for the Eagles

[Jalen Hurts] is gonna make some really good plays with his legs... and he shows he's shown us that he does that consistently. But I mean, I just don't think that's like a long lasting plan.

The future of the Washington Football Team is on an upward trajectory under Ron Rivera

The future of the organization is looking at an upward trajectory for Washington. I believe in Ron Rivera. I mean, he did it, he had the Carolina Panthers, you know, a pretty good football team for a long time.

Wide receivers are transitioning from college to the NFL at a higher rate than ever before

I think that receivers are actually transitioning at a higher rate in these last five, six years than they have ever before... a lot of these guys, there's so much more information now for younger players on how to train, what kind of drills to train.

Patrick Mahomes is missing throws that he hasn't missed in a very long time

The [Chiefs] are getting hot at the right time when their defense is playing well. That's scary. Their offense still isn't there. They're still missing little fundamental things. And I've seen Patrick Mahomes miss some throws you haven't seen him miss in a very long time.

The Colts are a Super Bowl contender because of their opportunistic defense and special teams

I like Indianapolis. That defense is, they got 31 takeaways... They're just so opportunistic on defense. They can stop the run... They have a special teams [block punt]... they're a tough football team.

The 49ers are Super Bowl contenders because Jimmy Garoppolo is a winner and their defense is flying

I'm going with the Niners. I like the way the Niners play. [Jimmy Garoppolo]'s been there, man. And everyone wants to hate on him... The guy who wins football games. You get it to Kittle, if Kittle stays healthy, Deebo Samuel stays healthy... if you watch that defense man, they're playing real well. They're flying right now.

I want to see Mac Jones face some adversity and struggle to see what kind of leader he is

I want to see him [Mac Jones] face some adversity, see how he does with that... I hope he doesn't [sprain his ankle], but you want to see the toughness of a guy. I want to see something go wrong. And I want to see the man he is in an adverse situation. That's when you see your best leaders.

Mac Jones plays 'on time' which is why he is a successful quarterback

He plays on time. Playing on time is like getting through your reads at the correct time... delivers a catchable football. His eyes are always in the right area. He's delivering the ball when he should deliver the ball... Those are 'playing on time' kind of moments.

Bill Belichick makes players change their glove color to match the opponent's jersey to hide holding penalties

[Bill Belichick] would always try to get me to change the color of my glove for blocking in the run game. Because if we were playing a team that had white and the referee, he said, 'the ref could see her goddamn glove on the backside of him. He's going to call holding every time.' So he would literally make like young players, like, 'Hey, you're wearing white today because we're playing against the white team.'

Players who wear black cleats and still look fast are the true 'burners' in the NFL

You always know a guy's a burner. If you see a guy wearing black cleats and he still looks fast. That's when those guys are like, they know they're fast. They wear black cleats. That's like a flex.

A truly tough football team can run the ball, stop the run, and cover kicks

This is what defines a tough football team. A physically tough football team, from what I was taught from some guy named Bill [Belichick], a tough football team can run the ball, can stop the run and can cover kicks. What teams do that the best? Baltimore, Patriots, Tennessee.

The Chiefs are getting better because they are taking care of the football and playing more opportunistic defense

I think the chiefs are getting better. They're playing smarter football... the last couple of weeks, what have they been doing? They've been taking care of the football. Their defense has been very opportunistic and playing situationally very well on the third down... they're finding their way.

I am riding with a Bills vs. Packers Super Bowl prediction

[Super Bowl prediction] I said, Bills and Green Bay. I'm going to ride with the Bills. I mean, I got seen some things I got to start to see the offense needs to start getting it going.

I was rooting for the Patriots over Tom Brady and the Bucs

I was rooting for the Pats [over the Bucs]. I mean, my guy [Brady] gets a little sensitive sometimes. He's my best friend, and... I don't think he probably would [say I am his best friend] anymore [because I didn't root for him].