New England Patriots: Julian Edelman seems to believe in Jarrett Stidham

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is set to face the toughest test of his NFL career, but he seems to be open to the challenge.

In the 2020 NFL season, New England Patriots veteran wide receiver Julian Edelman is saddled with more responsibility than he ever has been previously.

That says a lot, seeing as you are required to be on top of your game both physically and mentally when Tom Brady is your quarterback for your entire career up until this point.

However, with Brady having left the Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Edelman now has a whole new weight on his shoulders.

Whether it’s Brian Hoyer or Jarrett Stidham, the Patriots are downgrading at football’s most important position.

As the top receiver on the team, this obviously affects Julian Edelman substantially. Most wide receivers would hardly be enthused about such a situation, but according to multiple reports Edelman has been working out with Stidham very frequently and is highly motivated about the upcoming season.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss recently tweeted that Edelman and Stidham are seeing each other “almost every day.” This is incredibly encouraging for Patriots fans, as Edelman now has more experience in the Patriots’ offense than anyone else on the team and will be a big help for Stidham in terms of preparing from an X’s and O’s standpoint.

Another comment by NFL Network’s Mike Giardi is equally promising, backing up the claim that Edelman has been working out with teammates on a regular basis. Giardi also assures that Edelman is as fired up as he’s ever been and is once again looking to prove the doubters wrong.

If Julian Edelman is able to ball out in his first full season without Tom Brady it would certainly be a good look, especially if the Patriots make it back to the playoffs.

It’s nice to know that Edelman is motivated going into a season that will greatly challenge each individual player and coach on the roster. Tom Brady‘s absence cannot be understated; it’s a massive void that will require a collective effort to fill. If Edelman is on the same page as Jarrett Stidham from the jump, it will make that process much easier.

If Stidham and Edelman are working together as much as we have been lead to believe, maybe things won’t be as rocky as we thought for the New England Patriots offense in 2020. If somehow the offense can actually improve off of last year’s disappointing results, then this team could actually be dangerous.

One thing is for certain: The circumstances surrounding him have changed, but Julian Edelman hasn’t. Hard work in the offseason normally results in production during the season, and in that case we should see good results by Edelman once he and his teammates are on the field.