ALLEN PARK, Michigan — Danny Amendola has been making the rounds this week as the Patriots and Lions have conducted joint practices in advance of their preseason game Thursday.
He's seen former teammates Matthew Slater and Julian Edelman. He's chatted up Willie McGinest. He's caught up with behind-the-scenes Patriots staffers. And, of course, he's stopped to catch up with Tom Brady.
"It's great man," Amendola said of his run-ins with his old quarterback. "Luckily I don't have to try to break up any passes or tackle him or any of the great offensive players the Patriots have. But I've seen him play a lot of great football and to just be on the same field and see him at practice is great just because we're friends, so it's great to see him."
Amendola did acknowledge that he's followed the news surrounding Brady this week "a little bit." That Brady's contract extension is really just a raise for 2019. That his house is on the market.
As a player who has been in his share of tough contract negotiations with the Patriots in the past, someone who knows both sides involved very well, Amendola seemed like a good person to ask for his perspective on the situation. So we asked him what he thinks is in store for Brady's football future.
"He can play forever," Amendola said. "Perhaps we should stop putting a deadline on it and just let him play. The guy is in great shape, great condition, you know obviously he can throw the ball really well. Certainly he's top notch. I'm excited to see how far he wants to go and how long he wants to play. There's no timeline, bro."
With that, Amendola took off laughing, probably in part because after five years with the Patriots — and two years since his departure — he's been getting the same questions and answering them the same way.
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