For several years, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh battled with Tom Brady as AFC East rivals when they played for the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots, respectively. Suh also had a chance to square off with Brady during Super Bowl LIII when he played for the Los Angeles Rams in 2018. Now, the veteran defensive end now relishes the opportunity to play with Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as teammates as they both try to end the team’s long playoff drought. In a report by Geoffrey Arnold of The Oregonian, Suh said Brady’s arrival in Tampa Bay played a role in his decision to re-sign with the Buccaneers.

“Knowing who the quarterback was gonna be. All the particular pieces on the defense that were coming back. That was important as well,” Suh said of his decision to stay with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal worth $8 million, with $5 million in guaranteed money. Brady, for his part, signed a two-year deal worth $50 million with the Buccaneers in the offseason following a 20-year run with the Patriots.

Suh praises Brady’s winning pedigree

According to Suh, he’s excited to see that everybody on the Buccaneers’ defense is back, giving him confidence that the team will continue where it left off last season. The 33-year-old Suh added that he won’t pass the opportunity to play with the 43-year-old Brady, who is a six-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots.

“I’m interested to learn from a guy like that. I understand his particular pedigree,” Suh said. Even though he’s an 11-year veteran, Suh said he always has the mindset to learn from others, especially Brady, who he said brings a “pedigree of winning” to the Buccaneers. Suh added that the media attention on Brady took the focus on the Buccaneers’ offense, allowing them to prepare for the upcoming season without pressure as they eye to make the postseason for the first time since 2007.

Suh also underscored the importance of preparation because having a great team on paper means nothing if they miss their goal of winning. “You have to put in the work,” he said.

Edelman hints QB battle is over

When the Patriots signed Cam Newton to a one-year incentive-laden deal, he was expected to take over the post vacated by Brady.

However, head coach Bill Belichick declared that there will be quarterback competition between Newton, second-year player Jarrett Stidham and veteran Brian Hoyer for the starting post. However, Newton looked like he’s going to take the job as he left the pack eating his dust with his performance in the first week of training camp. Veteran wide receiver Julian Edelman hinted in a social media post that the quarterback competition is over. In his latest tweet, Edelman posted a photo of him wearing a Batman costume and Newton in a Superman suit with a caption “The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming...” All the fans have to do is wait if Newton is indeed Brady’s heir apparent.