Taking over for Tom Brady as the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots will no doubt be an extraordinary challenge for Jarrett Stidham -- if he does win the job -- but the 2019 fourth-round draft pick does have the right work ethic to set himself up for success.
Stidham didn't play much as a rookie after winning the backup job. He played in three games and threw four passes, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown in a Week 3 win over the New York Jets. Despite the low amount of reps, Stidham impressed throughout the regular season on the practice field, and his teammates have praised several of his physical and mental attributes this offseason.
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One of his veteran teammates is Patriots safety Devin McCourty, who explained in a recent SiriusXM NFL Radio interview why he's "excited" for the team's quarterback room in 2020.
"I think (Stidham is) a young guy who's eager to learn," McCourty said. "That quarterback position is always a hard position. I think between him and Brian Hoyer, two guys I've gotten to be around -- Hoyer longer, but even Stidham last year -- how much they put into just getting better. I remember in 2018 as we prepared for the Minnesota Vikings and preparing for the Super Bowl, how much Hoyer studied to be like (Kirk) Cousins and be like (Jared) Goff and try to simulate those things. The same thing with Stidham last year -- just listening to the coaches and trying to prepare us as best as possible as a defense.
"Right away (Stidham) worked extremely hard. I think last year, and very similar to when Jimmy (Garoppolo) came in as a rookie quarterback, you don't get a ton of snaps in the game but you watch and get better throughout the season. I'm excited for that quarterback room. I think they're all itching -- you get an opportunity to go out there and compete, that's what we all want. I think for us as players at other positions, we need to focus on what we have to do and not fall into the trap of the media, like everybody worrying about the quarterback room. We'll just control what we can control and the rest will take care of itself."
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There will be a learning curve for Stidham, but he does benefit from a few things right off the bat -- some good offensive weapons around him, a quality offensive line and the backing of a top-tier defense.
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The Patriots' weapons took a lot of heat last season, but a good chunk of the team's offensive struggles had to do with injuries.
Veteran wide receivers Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu both should be back healthy, and there are reasons to be optimistic about a sophomore leap from 2019 first-rounder N'Keal Harry. James White is one of the league's top pass-catching running backs, and starting running back Sony Michel is a year removed from a very good rookie campaign. If healthy, the Patriots should have one of the best offensive lines in the league, especially after keeping star left guard Joe Thuney via the franchise tag. Veteran center David Andrews, who missed all of last season due to blood clots, has been medically cleared to return.
Stidham has shown plenty of potential in his short time with the Patriots, and even though it might be tempting to bring in another veteran (Cam Newton, maybe?), the best plan is to just give him an opportunity and find out if he has what it takes to be a quality starting quarterback in the NFL.