After the departure of Tom Brady, Pats fans were, and still are, unsure of who QB1 will be going forward, but they should look no further than Jarrett Stidham.
With the 133rd pick in the 2019 NFL draft (4th round), the Patriots selected the Auburn quarterback. Knowing he would be the backup to Brady, he spent almost all of the 2019 season on the bench.
Although he didn’t really play in the regular season, he showed promise during the preseason.
Throwing for 731 yards in just 4 games, the rookie also had 4 touchdowns and a total of 61 completions. Obviously it’s just the preseason and doesn’t mean he’s destined for stardom, but that doesn’t change the fact he put his talents on display.
Another major factor in his development is the fact he practices against arguably the best defense in the league. Practicing with DPOY Stephon Gilmore, the McCourty twins, Dont’a Hightower etc. must put a QB in a position to succeed, as you’ll quickly learn how to make the right reads.
One of the main reasons the Patriots underperformed during the regular season was the fact that the offense had little to no weapons. If Belichick is able to grab a decent WR or TE, they could potentially begin to build an full offense around the 23-year-old quarterback.
What’s Next?
At this point in time, no one really knows who the Patriots are going to start at quarterback.
Recently signing veteran Brian Hoyer and releasing Cody Kessler could signal they are looking to draft or sign someone else. Plenty of quarterbacks are still on the market like Cam Newton and Jameis Winston, but why sign someone when you have a promising and young QB in development already on your team?
We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for New England’s starting spot, but when Week 1 comes around, Jarrett Stidham might be the best option the Pats have to compete in 2020.
Photo credit: Patriots Wire
