With Jarrett Stidham expected to take over the quarterback reins for the New England Patriots, fans are excited to see what he could bring to the table as the heir to Tom Brady’s throne. Stidham, the Patriots’ fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, served as Brady’s backup last season. He suited up for three games, completing 2-of-4 passes for 14 yards and an interception. In the upcoming season, Stidham is expected to start for the Patriots after Brady signed a two-year deal worth $50 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a 20-year stint in New England, highlighted by six Super Bowl wins.
Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who now works as a college football analyst for Fox Sports, said he’s convinced that Stidham will be a worthy replacement for Brady. “The common denominator of every great quarterback– he’s on a great team,” Meyer told “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” on Wednesday, per a report by Dakota Randall of New England Sports Network (NESN). Meyer said that Stidham would become a great quarterback as he is playing for head coach Bill Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and under a Patriots system that is proven to be successful in the past two decades. “They’re going to make that quarterback a great player,” said Meyer, who recruited Stidham before the latter opted to sign with Baylor.
Stidham played ten games for Baylor, throwing for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns with two interceptions before he transferred to Auburn. Stidham played a total of 17 games for Auburn, where he completed 470-of-739 passes for 5,952 yards and 36 touchdowns with 11 picks. Stidham also ran for 154 yards and seven scores in his career.
Patriots were expected to sign a veteran QB
The Patriots were earlier expected to acquire a veteran quarterback from the free-agent pool or via trade to serve as bridge signal-caller while Stidham continues to develop. However, the Patriots did not make a move on Jameis Winston, who signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints.
Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s name was mentioned numerous times as a possible target for the Patriots, but Mike Giardi of NFL Network reported that there is “nothing cooking” between the two sides. Andy Dalton also became available after he was released by the Cincinnati Bengals but the Patriots did not make a move on him. Dalton then signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys to be Dak Prescott’s backup.
Patriots sign 2nd-round pick to deal
The Patriots recently signed their second-round pick, linebacker Josh Uche, to a four-year deal, according to Pro Football Talk, based on information from his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. The Patriots used their 60th selection to take Uche, who was the second 2020 second-round pick to sign a deal, behind Baltimore Ravens' fifth-round defensive tackle Broderick Washington.
