Tom Brady is going to bat for Deion Branch. He’s ticked off that his #1 receiver is sitting at home in a bitter contract dispute.

“Deion is the most important player on our offense,” Brady told SI.com. “When I look at the elite receivers in the game, he is second to nobody. He doesn’t get a lot of the credit, because we do spread the ball around here, and he doesn’t feel a need to promote himself like so many guys at that position. But he is that good.”

“You only get better as a quarterback and a receiver when you’ve been through stuff together, and Deion and I are kind of at that point where we can draw on past experiences and react to things instantly,” Brady said. “He has such unbelievable quickness, and he uses that and his strength to get free on the line of scrimmage when people try to jam him. I mean, last year Sam Madison, who’s one of the best at jamming receivers, tried to get him at the line, and Deion was open by like 10 yards.”

“I asked [cornerback] Eric Warfield, who was with the Chiefs until we signed him this year, ‘How does Deion compare with the best receivers in the league?’ He said, ‘Deion was the best I faced last year. He was spectacular.’”

“The only people who truly understand what Deion is going through are those of us on the team who are his buddies. But at the same time, we’re in here working and he’s not, and he feels a little awkward. But the bottom line is that Deion is one of the best in the world at what he does, and it’s so hard for him and for us, because this is a really ruthless sport.”

This is the same type of unwavering loyalty to his teammates that made Tom Brady Sports Illustrated’s 2005 Sportsman of the Year. Remember the VISA “Metaphors” commercial with his offensive lineman? Few professional athletes are so willing to share the endorsement pie with teammates.

Blitz View: It’s nice to see a QB stick up for his favorite target, but keep in mind that Branch has never scored more than 5 touchdowns in a season.