Patriots: Julian Edelman’s motivational Instagram post after 2020 is everything

Patriots fans will love wideout Julian Edelman’s motivational Instagram post after the regular season finale.

It goes without saying that most people were thrilled to put the disaster-littered year that was 2020 in the rearview last week. On a serious note, there was no shortage of heartbreak and tragedy, both personal and professional, and there were many reasons this specific demarcation of time was seen as especially horrid.

When it comes to the New England Patriots, it almost seemed fitting that they endured their worst campaign in two decades while everything outside the world of football was seemingly flipped upside down. Not only did they miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but they were humbly stripped of their AFC East crown and secured their first top 20 draft pick in eight years.

It really doesn’t get much worse than that for a team that made nine Super Bowl appearances and won six championships over the last 20 years, and Julian Edelman’s inability to overcome injury (in many ways) symbolized the Patriots’ shortcomings this season.

After their prideful win over the Jets in the regular season finale on Sunday, Edelman took to Instagram to convey just how proud he was of his teammates for “digging in and fighting to the last whistle” without him on board.

It doesn’t get any better than that, and we wouldn’t fault Patriots fans who teared up reading Edelman’s lengthy caption, which further proved that he was still assuming leadership in the locker room amid his recovery from knee surgery.

The 34-year-old vet ended the campaign on injured reserve after undergoing what was described as a minor knee procedure at the end of October. He was ultimately able to return to practice with  a couple of weeks remaining, but the coaching staff understandably decided that shutting him down was in the best interest of his future.

When all was said and done, Edelman appeared in a career-low six games and logged 21 catches for 315 yards and zero touchdowns, most of which was compiled against Seattle in Week 2, when he racked up eight receptions for 179 yards in the offense’s best showing of the year.

Edelman’s future with the Patriots remains uncertain and it will undoubtedly be one of the focal talking points of the offseason, which figures to feature a slew of changes to the roster, coaching staff and potentially front office.

While the three-time champ is signed through 2021, his contract comes with just $2.6 million in dead cap, meaning the Patriots can cut or trade him without batting an eyelash. Whatever happens, however, he can sleep comfortably knowing that he gave absolutely everything to the franchise over the last 12 years.

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