The New England Patriots and former player Julian Edelman are partnering with boycotted beer brand Bud Light for a fan experience contest for this year’s NFL Draft.
The team and former player are working with the beleaguered beer brand for a giveaway called the Bud Light Easy Wish NFL Draft Experience, in which one fan will win the chance to fly on the Patriots’ plane to meet the team’s first-round pick.
“I’m very excited. Bud Light has been around the Patriots. I’ve seen them for a long time, and to finally get to work with them during this time of the year, which is draft time, for the fans with this experience that they’re giving away – the Bud Light Easy Wish NFL Draft Experience – it’s exciting,” Edelman told Fox News. “This is an opportunity for a fan to get to go on the team plane, to get to go out and call out the third-round draft pick.
New England Patriots Julian Edelman (11) is in action against Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium. Foxborough, MA 1/4/2020 (Erick W. Rasco /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
“We’ve all seen the celebrity fans, the former players, now you get to be the person to go out and give the third-round pick of the New England Patriots. That’s got to be a fun experience just thinking about it. I just thought it’d be fun,” the ex-player added.
Edelman waived off any worries about a backlash coming his way for working with the beer brand that has been under the pressure of a year-long boycott for the twin slights of telling its customers that they are not sophisticated enough and hiring transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney as a spokesman.
Dylan Mulvaney attends the 2023 Streamy Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on August 27, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
“It’s kind of like anything. You’re always excited for what’s going to happen going forward, and we’re on to the Easy Wish NFL Draft Experience. We’re on to easy wishes, bro,” he said.
As of March this year, it was estimated that Bud Light owner Anheuser-Busch InBev lost as much as $1.4 billion thanks to the boycott efforts that sprang up in April of 2023.
As to who the Pats might pick when their time comes, Edelman thinks it will be either UNC quarterback Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, or Jayden Daniels. But he warned he had “zero sources” inside the team telling him that.
The NFL Draft kicks off this year on April 25 in Detroit.
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