Julian Edelman Compares Tom Brady's Suspension to a Friend Going to Jail

New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman came up with an interesting analogy Sunday when asked to describe his reaction to Tom Brady's four-game suspension.

“I’m not gonna lie; it’s like one of your buddies going to jail," Edelman said, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

Brady will miss the first four games of the 2016 season after a court upheld NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's ruling from the Deflategate scandal. Jimmy Garoppolo, in his third NFL season, will get the first four starts of his career in Brady's stead.

The 39-year-old Brady has played all 16 games in 13 of the last 14 seasons, with the lone exception coming in 2008, when he tore his ACL and was replaced by Matt Cassel. 

Brady is not permitted to be on team facilities during his suspension. That means he cannot watch or participate in practice, and he is also not allowed to have any contact that is football-related with Patriots personnel or his teammates.

"I have ideas of what I need to do based on all the practices that we’ve had and the limited playing time that I’ve had," Brady told reporters Tuesday. "My goal is to come back and be the best that I can be, just like every other year, every other offseason.

"I’m going to do the best that I can do over these next, however many days, 30 days or so, to do the same thing."   

Edelman was limited to nine games last season, making 61 receptions for 692 yards and seven touchdowns. His effectiveness without Brady will be a key storyline for the Patriots. 

When Brady returns for Week 5's game against the Cleveland Browns, he'll be greener than he's been at any point since his rookie season. 

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.