Julian Edelman Says Tom Brady Vs. Pats Like Watching 'Divorced Parents'

Julian Edelman says the NFL's most anticipated game -- pitting his old QB, Tom Brady and the Bucs against his old team, the Patriots -- is gonna be be super weird for him ... almost like a child at a party with his "divorced parents."

The teams are playing October 3 ... and it'll be the first time that TB12 returns to Gillette Stadium since leaving the Pats in 2020.

And, Edelman -- who played with Brady and Rob Gronkowski in New England for 11 seasons before retiring -- is hyped about the game.

"It's definitely gonna be weird," Edelman told ABC6.

"It's like going to a family barbecue or like a basketball event and you're the step kid, or you're like the kid who has divorced parents and your mom and dad are there and you don't know how to react."

"Are they going to fight? Are they not going to fight? It's going to be interesting. But, I am excited. Who's not excited for it? It's going to be an exciting game."

So, is Edelman rollin' with his former team or former QB? He says Pats all day!

"I want the Patriots to win," Edelman says, "but I also want them to do well -- Gronk and Tom, so we'll see."

"I hope Tom does great. I hope everyone stays healthy. I hope Gronk does great but I hope like it's just a high scoring battle and maybe lil Mac [Jones] comes out, who knows? We'll see."

But, Edelman then takes it back ... saying he "can't be taking sides right now" since he's now an "Inside the NFL" analyst.

"I'm gonna have to take the fifth on that one, actually."