Julian Edelman has to be disheartened after his best friend and longtime quarterback left the New England Patriots this offseason, right?
Nope. Quite the contrary, in fact.
According to one of Edelman's teammates, the 34-year-old wide receiver is extra motivated to disprove the doubters following Tom Brady's exodus to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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How motivated? Here's what that teammate told NFL Media's Mike Giardi:
If you don't know what "the red ass" means, we'd recommend this colorful 2019 column from The Athletic's Marc Carig. Just know it fits Edelman to a tee and means he's furiously motivated to demonstrate he can succeed without Brady in 2020.
That motivation has led to action, too: The veteran wideout has been working out with Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham this offseason as he aims to build a rapport with Brady's replacement.
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Edelman has plenty of work to do; he caught 100 passes for a career-high 1,117 yards in his final season with Brady, and if his numbers dip significantly in 2020, many will point to Brady's exit as the cause.
Don't underestimate the power of Edelman's "red ass," though.