Julian Edelman has defied expectations his entire NFL career, and the New England Patriots wide receiver has plenty of motivation entering the 2020 NFL season.
The 2019 campaign was a struggle for Edelman. Despite posting one of the best statistical seasons of his career, he battled injuries throughout the year and clearly wasn't himself over the last four games, including the AFC Wild Card playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans.
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It seems Edelman is eager to prove his doubters wrong again with the 2020 season on the horizon. This tweet from NFL Network's Mike Giardi from June 8 painted a pretty good picture of Edelman's mindset.
If Edelman needed any more motivation for the upcoming season, it was announced Wednesday night that he finished just outside the annual ranking of the league's top 100 players. This yearly list is voted on by the players and revealed on NFL Network. Edelman came in at No. 101.
Edelman should've been in the top 100. He tallied 100 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games last season. Few players on the Patriots are more important than Edelman. He's also one of the most reliable players in the league in clutch scenarios -- just two years ago Edelman won Super Bowl LIII MVP when the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams for their sixth championship.
The Patriots, perhaps more than most teams in the league, feed off of bulletin board material. Edelman probably didn't need any more motivation to play at a high level in the 2020 season, but if he's looking for some, his fellow peers leaving him outside the latest top 100 players ranking is one area.