Circumstantial Evidence Points To Stidham Being Part Of The Patriots 2021 Quarterback Situation.

Updated April 24, 2021 and again on June 25, 2021

So a lot has gone on since superbowl 53. So much so that people may overlook things. Here's a brief timeline review of somethings people may have forget or missed in relating to the Patriots' current quarterback situation. Allow me to show you the breadcrumbs.

According to Matt Hayes, "When the Patriots drafted Stidham, Belichick said they liked his football IQ and his knowledge of passing game concepts. By the end of the preseason, he'd won the backup job. And won over his teammates."

By now, everyone should know that Stidham was a 2018 projected first round draft pick who returned to college, had a miserable year and found himself undrafted entering day three of the 2019 nfl draft.

In October of 2019 Belichick said, "Jarrett is a smart kid. He picks up things very quickly. He has handled everything we've thrown at him." 

Stidham would get extra time in 2019 with the Patriots offense during practice due to Tom Brady reportedly dealing with injuries. Being New England, we have to take that answer with a grain of salt, as we never know if Bill was grooming Stidham.

It was reported after the loss to the Titans in the playoffs, sometime during the early 2020 offseason, that the Patriots liked what they saw from Stidham but wanted to develop him for another year. 

Of course, nobody thought he was ready to compete with Brady after the 2019 season. That would've been foolish but there was still a lot of praise coming out for Stidham.

In March of 2020, Tom Brady forced the Patriots hand by opting to leave the team. A scenario many sports writers had considered. NESN's Doug Kyed wrote in February, that The Patriots should "add a guaranteed veteran starter and continue the development of Stidham", in the event Brady leaves. Kyed wasn't the only analyst or writer to suggest such a thing.

In March Fox's Ryan Gaydos quoted Duron Harmon as saying, "You see throws out there that he (Stidham) makes where you’re just like, ‘Wow.’ You can tell he has the intangibles to be a good pro quarterback.”

Harmon wasn't alone. Many of Stidham's teammates were singing the Praise of Stidham.

Gaydos also quoted scout Jim Nagy, "No question … Jarrett's got starter ability. No doubt in my mind. If they develop him right. Again, quarterback play is all about opportunity and situation. I think he's in a good spot to really maximize that. I think Jarrett could definitely be a starter in the NFL.”

Most interestingly he quoted Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. "He makes mistakes every day, like they all do as rookies, and he gets better. ... He has a great attitude. A great mindset.”

In April Todd Mcshay said the following about Stidham, "From everyone I talk to in the organization, they’re excited about his development. He has so much potential. He is gifted. He’s been through a lot in his life. He’s got some character and some grittiness and some toughness to him but he’s not ready yet. That’s the bottom line. He is not ready to lead the New England Patriots, in my opinion."

McShay is considered one of the experts on draft prospects, so take that into mind, when thinking about what he said. 

Devin Mccourty added on his show Double Coverage, "To me, the best thing for Stiddy was that he had to go against our defense every week...". McCourty would go on to say, "There were weeks where he was just on point. And those were some of our best weeks as a defense, mainly because Stiddy ate us up in practice leading up to the game."

In May former Patriot Rich Ohrnberger, who still has ties to the Patriots tweeted, "I’ve heard it now from A LOT of people close to the Patriots. They really believe in Jarrett Stidham. Like it or not, Stidham is not a cheap placeholder... he’s the future."

Belichick also told NFL network in May, “Stid worked really hard last year. He was our backup quarterback the entire season and I know he’s working hard in the offseason. I know he’s made a lot of progress in terms of understanding our offense and understanding opponent defenses like all players do from Year 1 to Year 2.

I am sure he will get out there and be ready to go, be prepared, compete hard, and we’ll see where it takes us.”

When Newton was signed to a one year deal in June, almost everyone who works in sports news and media guaranteed Cam Newton would be the starter. With some saying, "You don't sign Cam Newton unless you're starting him." Which of course went against everything in the Patriots way about "nothing being given" and "the what have you done for me lately" mantra. 

The only thing anyone should've thought Newton's past earned him was his contract but all everyone saw was 2015 Cam Newton but that's beside the point.

Derek Hanson of Featurd asked the question of what that meant (signing Cam) for Stidham and gave the following as his answer.

Hanson wrote, "By signing Newton to a one-year deal, the Patriots essentially bought time for Stidham to continue to learn his craft. Certainly, last year, the rookie had the opportunity to learn a lot by watching Brady, considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all time. Brady always did extra work with his receivers, pushed his teammates and spent a lot of time learning the playbook so he was prepared for every eventuality. He also held his teammates to a high standard.

Now, Stidham will have the chance to learn from Newton, a former Heisman Trophy winner who has also won an NFL MVP and led his team to a Super Bowl. Hopefully, Stidham can pick up different things from the way Newton runs an offense and prepares to play."

In July, Bill Belichick spoke with local Boston Media about Cam Newton. Belichick said, “Things worked out. We spent quite a bit of time with Cam. He spent quite a bit of time with us. I think it was a mutual interest. We spent quite a bit of (time with) a number of different people and a number of different conversations just trying to see how the fit would be. It was very positive on our end and I’m glad it worked out.”

So Belichick knew prior to signing Cam Newton in June that he had plans on signing Newton if everything worked out. Again, this is fitting along with everything people were thinking about Belichick Developing Stidham for another year, outside a small group, that hopped on the Stidham bandwagon and a large group that hopped on the Newton til 2030 train.

At some point in August, Belichick named Newton and Stidham co-Starters.

On August 28th, Tom E. Curran talked about the Patriots quarterbacks during camp competition saying "None of them looked good", and Boomer Esiason told WEEI that he didn't think Newton was accurate, especially "accurate on third down." Both were criticized for not knighting Newton the savior of the franchise.

Evan Lazar also went on to say about Newton, "7 on 7 drills, accuracy and so on isn't Newton's game. His game is running around, beating you with his legs and arms strength." Again, angering some Patriots fans who saw Newton as the savior.

Keep in mind at this point of the off season heading in to week one, unlike a normal year for sophomores in development, Stidham had no OTAs, No rookie minicamp, No Preseason, and the training camp in August was limited due to the pandemic. Regardless of how far ahead he may have been at the end of his rookie year, the off season set him back.

All season we heard the Patriots were working on Newton's Mechanics, excuses for his play, which much of the same applied to Stidham, and how much everyone on the team loved hCam.

In early September, Dan Graziano of ESPN said, "When you hear people talk this glowingly about a situation like this that’s so new, you wonder are they trying to hide something?"

After watching Newton we know what they were trying to hide. Newton still struggles with accuracy and cannot operate timing route offenses. Boomer and Lazar, along with some other critics, were right about Newton to some extent. Newton's decline started in the first half against the Raiders.

In October, we learned that Stidham was in the doghouse for missing some training for a wedding. Although he reportedly trained while in Texas. Also, for the circumstances around the injury he suffered at camp and how he handled it. That those reasons led to Stidham being moved to third string.

After the Chiefs' game Stidham was given his spot back due how many mistakes Hoyer made for a game manager and how that costed the Patriots points, which may have costed them the game, and definitely put more pressure on Stidham when he entered the game.

Jonas Gray found his NFL career cut short for sleeping in. Gray was a running back. Malcolm Butler allegedly hit Steve Belichick the week before the superbowl loss to the eagles, although Butler has not commented on it. Both guys have had their careers take a dive after ending up in Belichick's dog house.

Quarterbacks are a little more valuable than both corner or running back. Well at least if they have starting potential. The pandemic, may have also helped Stidham and Hoyer keep a place on the roster while in Bill's doghouse.

In November, with the playoffs still within reach fans started calling for Stidham to replace Newton as the starter. Belichick chose to Stick with Newton, but why, was Stidham that bad? Another explanation could've been that he was protecting Stidham's confidence. 

The NFL is famous for destroying quarterbacks confidence. Bill Walsh knew it. Between 79 and 80, although Montana started 8 of 31 games, Walsh used him situationally. In the modern NFL, we have seen Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, and Giovanni Carmazzi of the Brady six, to name a few that have had their confidence destroyed. 

Hell, even former Patriots corner Cyrus Jones had it destroyed, not only from play but from the fanbase. Belichick is smart enough to know how to protect a players confidence. Especially after the Cyrus Jones incident.

On December 8th nearing the end of a miserable season for Newton, He said this about Jarrett Stidham.

 "I am so proud of Stid. We had a chat yesterday in the QB room and honestly, his growth and his development is something that really caught my attention because I have known him enough to know I don't know if he makes that throw or be able to stand in that pocket, a murky pocket, for what it was and fire an absolute strike to Gun Show [Gunner Olszewski].

After his first play in, he got hit and was down on the ground and for him to bounce back from that, it just speaks volumes of his growth and I am always a proponent of winning football and just to see him grow is something that I am extremely pleased about."

Something one would wanna hear from a bridge quarterback, when they're helping develop a younger player.

On December 11th, Belichick was asked about Stidham and said the following, "Jarrett’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, and he’s done everything he can do. I don’t think you can ask any more than that."

Although Harry later retracted the statement after pressure from the organization, in mid December around the 17th, his trainer and friends were quoted as saying that Harry blamed Newton for his lack of production and eluded to him being more productive if Stidham had been playing. It's not great support but it's something.

Heading in to the Buffalo game, Josh McDaniels was asked about Jarrett Stidham playing. McDaniels responded, "“That’s coach (Belichick)’s decision, and I honor whatever he makes in terms of those choices...” 

McDaniels' statement is true. He can advise Belichick but at the end of the day it's up to Belichick to make the decision unless Robert Kraft meddles.

McDaniels continued, “We work as hard as we can to get everybody ready to go. I’ve seen plenty of Jarrett in practice. I see him every day. I’ve seen him for two years. I’m confident that I understand where Jarrett is at in his development.

But I also know that our job is to try to go out there and win two football games that we have left. So that starts with Buffalo Monday night. Cam’s done a great job of preparing this week. Those choices are Bill’s. Whatever he chooses, that’s what we’re going to do, and I feel confident going in with the plan that we have right now.”

McDaniels could've already talked to Belichick about the starting decision. Like McDaniels said, the Patriots had seen Stidham for two seasons and Nobody knows what the conversations were between Belichick and Newton. Nor the impact of taking the job away from Newton would've had on the Patriots locker room that was dealing with so many mental issues due to covid and the civil rights riots and protests. 

On December 21, 2021, James White appeared on Dale & Keefe with Nick “Fitzy” Stevens and Andy Hart filling in. White told them, “Jarret is a good football player. Obviously, you could tell that coming in his rookie year learning and things of that nature. He has all the talent he needs to be successful in this league and I am sure he’s probably excited for whenever he gets the opportunity to step out there and I think he will be great whenever he does.”

James White appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio the week of February 7th and continued to show confidence in Stidham. White said, “I am sure he’s chomping at the bit to get his opportunity. I think he will be a guy that can get some things done. He works hard. Strong arm, studies hard, prepares hard and it’s tough being a backup. He may not get many reps as he wants to, but he stayed motivated throughout that entire season.He got to play sometimes towards the end of games. He’s a young guy excited to get out there. You want to play those four full quarters and get your opportunity. I am sure he’s working hard this offseason to prove that he can do that.”

There's a lot of talk that Stidham doesn't have support of the locker room. Nobody can say that White's voice doesn't carry weight and he definitely supports Stidham.

Danny Jaillet of Musket fire talked about Stidham recently. He wrote, "One could argue that the mop-up duty put him in difficult spots, as New England was already way behind when Stidham came into the game..." 

Jaillet would add, "However, Stidham being relegated to the bench indicated to me that the Patriots either 1) did not like what they saw in practices, or 2) did not think he was developing fast enough to warrant extended playing time."

I am leaning towards the latter and I am going to back it up with Matt Miller's scouting report summary,  where Miller describes Stidham as a project. Chris Simms said not to long ago that it takes 3 years for a quarterback to fully learn a playbook-system and 2 for everyone else. Simms' comments help Newton just as much as Stidham.

Miller wrote, "As a collective, we loved Stidham's 2017 tape. However, he looked like a completely different quarterback in 2018. In 2017, Stidham looked like a lock to be a first-round quarterback, but at times in 2018, he looked like a fourth-round guy. Will the right coaches be able to restore Stidham and get his confidence and play back on track? If so, he has the talent to be a successful NFL quarterback."

Key words restore and back on track. Words used to describe project players. Making sense that Belichick redshirted Stidham. Ask yourself, how long do project players take to develop?

Dan Graziano asked what the Patriots were hiding about Newton with all the praise. Well "still in development" would be the answer for Stidham, if Dan were to ask about the early 2020 praise for Stidham.

Jaillet also wrote, "Now in Year 3, the Patriots probably have a good idea of what he brings to the table. He’ll surely get a shot at competing for the starting job, but at this point, it would be a stunning and pleasant surprise if he won the job."

Jaillet like many have one hundred percent written off Stidham. Even this writer gave up on Stidham after the Buffalo game. Newton's play as a passer has been horrible and Stidham's play all season was comparable to Newton's performances. Which is also why this writer struggles to see how anyone who says Stidham's play was garbage, can still support Newton getting a second year under center.

The Patriots have to address the quarterback situation as Stidham is the only quarterback on the roster. Everything I have researched and shared shows the possibility that Stidham is in the plans for 2021. Unpopular but people have to start considering that it maybe in the cards for the upcoming season.

Ask yourself this, if the Patriots have their quarterback on the roster, how do they proceed going into the 2021 offseason? It's a realm nobody has thought about and it could impact how they approach free agency and the draft.

Well I told people to ask themselves if the Patriots had their quarterback on the roster and in March of 2021, something strange happened. Robert Kraft came out and spoke about Jarrett Stidham. Here's what he said in a conference call.

Kraft said. “I think he’s (Stidham) a great young man and I know that he’s eager to compete and look for an opportunity to play. One thing I like is that he’s shown great initiative in putting these workouts together on his own out in California." Kraft acknowledged the he's a "really big fan of his.”

Kraft continued,  “I’m not sure he’s really been tested. ... We all know, long-term, we have to find a way — either Jarrett Stidham or someone new we bring in.”

Kraft let it be known that Stidham is still in the mix for the long term competition of the position. Kraft's comments also came just weeks after Greg Bedard said the organization didn't have much faith in him. Leaving fans to speculation that Bedard's sources or Bedard himself were making stuff up. Bedard wasn't alone on reporting that the Patriots are done with Stidham.

Mike Giardi in April said, “There is a pretty good feeling about what Jarrett Stidham has done over the course of this offseason. They like sort of his demeanor right now, they feel like there’s a bit more urgency to his operation, if you will. He’s the one who organized the workouts on the West Coast earlier this offseason. Maybe Jarrett Stidham is saying, ‘I’m not done just yet; this isn’t Cam’s job just yet.’"

This is the second time Stidham has shown leadership in organizing camp. Keep in mind,  he's also replaced Hoyer twice for the second string quarterback role, over the course of his career. Stidham is at voluntary OTAs trying to get ready for the season. Now there's always the chance that Stidham could be cut after the draft but at the moment, it still looks like he'll be in the quarterback room come September. .

***Update***

Since this article was written, the Patriots drafted Mac Jones. So Stidham is not the future of the franchise but that doesn't mean that he still does not have a chance to be a part of the Patriots 2022 season.

During OTAs and minicamp Stidham was second in pass attempts with 68. He was solid throughout all the practices and was even the best quarterback of one of the sessions. Stidham threw a handful of passes more than Newton, and had almost twice the amount of passes as Hoyer.

Depending on how August goes, I believe that either Hoyer or Newton could possibly be cut. Stidham provides a higher long term upside as a backup. Now It's possible that the Patriots keep four quarterbacks but unlikely. Remember, every excuse that can be made for Newton can pretty much be made for Stidham for last season. Sure Stidham did catch covid but he had a hip/groin injury.