While the New England Patriots’ passing offense struggled for most of the 2019 season, one player proved to be a consistent presence throughout the year: wide receiver Julian Edelman, who finished as the team’s leader in every major receiving category and at times was the only truly reliable target for quarterback Tom Brady.
While the 33-year-old’s performance did neither help the Patriots advance past the NFL’s wild card round nor earn him his first Pro Bowl nomination, Edelman did get some hardware for his performance: as was announced by the Patriots earlier today, the 33-year old is the organization’s 2019 Ed Block Courage Award recipient.
The trophy, named after the Baltimore Colts’ long-time athletic trainer, is given out annually to players who “best exemplif[y] the principles of courage and sportsmanship while also serving as a source of inspiration.” Edelman can certainly claim that: not only did he play some of the best football of his career in 2019, he also bounced back from numerous injuries and eventually played in all 17 of his team’s games.
Along with the other 31 winners from around the NFL, Edelman will be honored at an awards banquet in Baltimore in late March and is now the latest member of the Patriots to receive the trophy — joining a list that includes Nate Ebner (2018), Matthew Slater (2017), Nate Solder (2016), Jerod Mayo (2015), Rob Gronkowski (2014), Sebastian Vollmer (2013), Logan Mankins (2012), Marcus Cannon (2011), Wes Welker (2010) and Tom Brady (2009).