Does Stidham Still Have A Shot?

Jordan Palmer is Jarrett Stidham's quarterback coach. Who once learned the Titans playbook in a day. Palmer had learned tips and tricks to learning a playbook and that he can pass along to the quarterbacks he coaches.

Unlike other positions that have it down in two, The typical quarterback takes three seasons to learn a playbook. Most quarterbacks drafted in rounds 3 and 4 are also at least backup grade level to developmental starters when they enter the NFL. Although Stidham was once a 2018 first round prospect, Palmer says Stidham was not at the level when they started working together in 2019.

Palmer said, “What people don’t realize — and I’ve been doing this a long time — Jarrett had as far to go mentally in terms of what he knew, not in terms of intelligence, in terms of what he knew about football, he had as far to go between college and pro as anybody I ever worked with."

Basically Jordan Palmer is saying Stidham was an intelligent person but a quarterback with a low football I.Q. , thus begging the question of what was it that made the Patriots draft him? Palmer basically criticized Baylor for not preparing quarterbacks to play in the NFL.

Palmer then continued on about Auburn saying, "And this isn’t an indictment on his offense. He won a national championship with Cam Newton. I’m just saying, what they expect you to know on offense at Auburn is the furthest thing from NFL offenses. And I think the Patriots offense is the most complex.”

" ... The gap he had to make up was the most significant gap I’ve seen. Out of anybody I’ve trained for the NFL Draft -- and I’ve trained over 35 guys and 10 of them started as rookies, I do this every year -- I’ve never seen a gap like that."

What Palmer basically is saying is that if Stidham had entered the 2018 NFL draft, he would've been a complete draft bust and the best thing that he could've done was return to Auburn for more development. It's a prime example of how off NFL scouts can be in any given year.

Now Stidham reportedly impressed the Patriots in his first season. Not only beating out Brian Hoyer but doing well in practice to make sure that both sides of the ball were ready during the 2019 season. Earning praise from coaches and teammates alike.

After watching the 2020 season, I am not putting the blame on the pass catchers. Yes they were below average but the quarterbacks were worse as passers. If we're being honest.

However speaking of 2020, Stidham had no rookie minicamp that sophomores take advantage of. He had no voluntary or mandatory OTAs to help him improve his game. He suffered an injury in the make shift August training camp. For a development sophomore Stidham was behind the eight ball going into the 2020 season.

Jordan Palmer had this to say about that. "You love to say, ‘Well, he had all offseason.' Well, you don’t learn it all in an offseason. You’re not walking through in the offseason. This guy watches as much tape as anybody. He studies as much as anybody. It’s not just all you see, Pats Nation, in the game. There are things that lead up to that." 

Remember Stidham like Cam Newton was extremely limited in what he could and couldn't do in 2020 to get ready for the season. As a developmental player, and as a sophomore, Stidham needed the extra time with the coaching staff that the league denied due to the global pandemic.

Palmer says Stidham is intelligent enough to run the Patriots offense, that Stidham just has to do his job. Here's what Palmer had to say about 2021 back in March before the Patriots drafted Mac Jones.

Palmer said, "He knows this offseason is the offseason to grab it and take it. Last year, it looked like things were heading in that direction and then Cam coming in ... the way things shook out, I’m not privy to that. But I would assume they’re going to bring someone in to compete and Jarrett’s going to get himself ready to compete and fill in the leadership void on this team and looking to step up.

He knows how important this year is and what’s expected of him. He’s been in this system with Josh McDaniels for a few years now. He’s healthy, he’s in a good spot and it’s time. I think that’s how he looks at it and as his coach out here that’s how I look at it."

Now Palmer is Stidham's quarterback coach. It benefits him to hype up his student. So let's look at what Stidham's teammates had to say about the third year quarterback.

Around the 22nd of December, 2020 James White appeared on the Dale & Keefe show. Here's what White said, “Jarrett 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.”

Two months later, White as a free agent took the time to speak about Stidham again. This is what White told SuriusXM, “Jarrett Stidham, he’s young, he’s talented. 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.”

White got to work with Tom Brady and has been in the Patriots system long enough that it would be wise to say he is one of the unofficial team captains. So if white believes in Stidham, he's still gotta have the potential in the NFL. 

2020 bridge Patriots quarterback and potential 2021 bridge quarterback Cam Newton had some thoughts on Jarrett Stidham in December of 2020 with the season winding down.

Newton said on the Greg Hill Show, "Man, I’m so proud of Stid, man. We had a chat (Monday) in the QB room, and honestly, his growth and his development is something that really caught my attention. Because I’ve known him enough to know I don’t know if he makes that throw or able to stay in that pocket — a murky pocket, for what it was — and fire an absolute strike to Gun Show.

The first play he was 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. I’m always a (proponent) of winning football, and just to see him grow is something that I’m extremely pleased about.”

Now that's one of Brady's go to guys who hyped Stidham up when he was a free agent in February, and Stidham's competition for the starting job hyped him up at the end of the regular season. 

Plus we know that Robert Kraft is a fan, who believes Stidham didn't get an opportunity. Thus we can assume that he will be allowed to compete with Newton for the job.

As Jordan Palmer stated, fans don't get the chance to see practice or coaches game film. We're limited to what is shown on television. One of the members of Colts media, Mr. Lawrence Owens did a film room breakdown on Stidham. What Lawrence said was that Stidham was still a developmental prospect in need of work. Since then Stidham has spent time with Jordan Palmer, worked out at Patriots West, and been in Patriots workouts.

Now everyone assumes that the Patriots won't keep four quarterbacks and that Stidham will be cut. However there is a growing part of the fanbase that believes that although Hoyer was signed as a player, he was actually signed as a quarterback coach. And that Belichick is taking advantage of the rules by signing Hoyer that way because he can spend extra time with Mac Jones.

There are also two more beliefs by the fan base. One is that Stidham was in Belichick's dog house due to the circumstances around his injury and that was the only reason that he was third on the roster to start 2020 and not to take his spot as anything because he was given it back after after week four. 

The other thing people are believing is that Belichick is "wrapping Mac Jones in bubble wrap" for the 2021 season. That he will sit and not play a single snap.

Nobody knows what the true plan is for Brian Hoyer. Stidham has clearly beat him out in the past and it's not unreasonable to think he'll do it again. It's also not unreasonable for the Patriots to cut Hoyer at the deadline and to resign him as an assistant quarterbacks coach. 

Then If you get away from the "Homers," and read what everyone was saying. You'll see several reporters from last season saying that nobody pulled ahead in the quarterback competition. That it was neck and neck until Stidham got injured. 

On top of that, if you watch every time Stidham took the field in relief with exception to the Chargers game, if your honest with yourself; you'll see he looked comparable to Cam Newton as a passer.

Now going into 2021 with both Stidham and Newton having a full offseason, it's very well possible that Stidham could beat out Newton. And it's also possible Stidham stays on as the number two and starts if Cam looks bad, while Mac Jones has a true red shirt year. Note that It's also possible that both Newton and Stidham could be cut and Mac Jones starts. Probability may vary on each scenario but there are a lot of possibilities surrounding the Patriots quarterback depth chart heading into 2021.