We are inching close and closer to the Patriots regular season kickoff, and while the offseason is officially over, we're taking one last look at the Patriots summer. It was an offseason of celebrations, parades, TV appearances and new bling, but it was also filled with quieter moments of personal growth and relaxation. There were marriages, births and family vacations.
From the red carpets to personal milestones, check out how Patriots players spent their offseason.
First and foremost, there was some new jewelry for the guys. The Super Bowl LIII ring ceremony took place in June, and let's just say the Patriots had a good time celebrating their championship season and collecting their Super Bowl rings.
As Super Bowl champions, there was no shortage of glamorous opportunities. Tom Brady and Julian Edelman hit the "pink" carpet of the Met Gala in April, and as always the squad rolled deep to the Kentucky Derby in May. Just a few weeks ago, Rob Gronkowski, Stephon Gilmore, David Andrews, Kyle Van Noy, Sony Michel, Deatrich Wise, Elandon Roberts and more spent an evening celebrating sports at the ESPYs.
After their own championship celebration, the Red Sox welcomed the Patriots to opening day at Fenway Park, and while it was a celebration, we know now that there was history happening behind the scenes.
Rob Gronkowski, after just having announced his retirement, joined his teammates to throw out the first pitch and ended up using the Super Bowl LIII trophy as a bat. The rest, as they say, is history.
While there is no doubt that winning a Super Bowl makes Patriots players prime guests of honor on red carpets, it also landed Devin and Jason McCourty in a different kind of spotlight. They were invited back to their alma mater, Rutgers University, to give the commencement address to the 2019 graduating class.
Devin and Jason weren't the only Patriots to go back to school, either. After more than a decade, Julian Edelman graduated from Kent State University in May, and it made for a touching moment.
The Super Bowl LIII MVP had himself an offseason. Aside from graduation, Julian hit the late night circuit, game shows and pumped up the Boston faithful before the Bruins playoff games. He even released a documentary on Showtime, "100%: Julian Edelman."
While there was a big debut on Showtime, another Patriot was preparing for an emotional conclusion on HBO. With "Game of Thrones" coming to an end, Duron Harmon kept Patriots fans entertained with his insightful and often funny recaps. He even dressed the part in honor of the finale.
As Duron taught Patriots fans what "Game of Thrones" fandom looks like, the Patriots unofficial Anime Club took a field trip to Boston for a convention. Adam Butler took charge and led Patriots.com cameras around the convention with his teammates.
Longsnapper Joe Cardona not only joined Instagram this offseason, he also hosted the Warrior Games in Tampa Bay and was promoted to Lieutenant for the Navy.
The Kraft family took several current and former Patriots to Israel, and Patriots like Stephon Gilmore, David Andrews, Brandon King, Isaiah Wynn, Joe Thuney, Nate Ebner and more were able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
There was no shortage of personal milestones this offseason. Several Patriots celebrated their loves and got married, including Deatrich Wise, Nate Ebner, Brandon King, Elandon Roberts and Jarrett Stidham.
Lawrence Guy, Danny Shelton and Derek Rivers all welcomed children this offseason, and James White, Kyle Van Noy and Elandon all announced that they were expecting, as well.
Overall, the Patriots offseason was jam-packed with special moments and appearances. While we hate to see it go, we're ready for football to come back.
On to training camp.
