Stidham has been the backup quarterback the past two seasons for the Patriots. In 2019 with a full offseason, Stidham not only beat out veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer but had a better rookie preseason than any of Brady's other backups to that point.
In 2020, Stidham like Cam Newton didn't have an offseason. He was also hindered by medical reasons. Stidham found himself punished and demoted to third string the first four games of the 2020 season due to the circumstances surrounding the injury suffered in the preseason and could never dethrone a struggling and inaccurate Newton.
Entering the 2018 college season, Stidham was projected as a first round quarterback. Things happened and the Patriots acquired Stidham in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Stidham has been working with quarterback coach Jordan Palmer since entering the NFL, who had the some things to say about Stidham in March of 2021.
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."
Palmer would go on to say Stidham played for two college programs that don't care about preparing players for the next level and instead are focused solely on winning national championships at the college level.
With the Patriots liking Stidham as a backup and with how the rules are for taking people off of the IR. The Patriots could keep Stidham there while Hoyer helps develop Mac Jones. Stidham is young and doesn't present much in trade value but he he should have a decent amount of knowledge as a backup.
If the Patriots want, they will be able to re-sign Stidham to an affordable backup contract and have a young knowledgable quarterback behind their franchise quarterback. Keeping Stidham around until 2025 and then going after a new backup quarterback could make sense for the Patriots.
Now I'm not saying this is the route the Patriots are going to go, I am just saying it makes sense. Having a good backup quarterback can be an asset. Stidham has a good arm and if they can develop him, he could be a surprisingly good backup.
After all, Hoyer helped the Patriots win a superbowl and Stidham has beat him out in the past, showing he's the better quarterback. That has to say something about Stidham. Especially when two of the division rivals wanted Hoyer this offseason. And that there's good reason to think Stidham won't make it to the Patriots practice squad if cut.
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