Patriots Would Be Insane Not to Make Julian Edelman Captain Next Season

The New England Patriots are entering unfamiliar territory in 2020. Tom Brady will no longer don the Patriots signature navy blue and silver uniforms, as he left for free agency to join the loaded offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Not only does New England need to find a new quarterback, but they have to find a new team captain. Perhaps there's no better choice than wide receiver Julian Edelman. Without question, he'd be the right choice.

When looking at the current roster, Edelman (2009) is the second-longest tenured Patriots player, behind special teamer Matthew Slater (2008). In those 11 seasons, Edelman has never served as a team captain, which is insane to think about.

Edelman is a loud voice on the Patriots team, whether that's on the field, during a press conference, or on social media. The slot receiver tows the company line, and as a result, has become a beloved figure in the New England area.

Oh, and there's the whole "playing football" thing. He's pretty good at that too.

If you needed an example of how important Edelman is to the Patriots, look no further than Super Bowl LIII. New England's offense was stagnant throughout the majority of the game against the Los Angeles Rams, but Edelman was the only difference maker on the field. The sub 6-0 wideout hauled in 10 receptions for 140 yards, netting him the game's MVP award and the Patriots their sixth Super Bowl victory.

Replacing the captaincy left by Brady isn't a difficult decision for the Patriots. Give it to Edelman, because there's nobody more deserving of holding that title.