The New England Patriots quarterback room has grown somewhat crowded since the departure of Tom Brady in the 2020 offseason. Bill Belichick brought in former league MVP Cam Newton last year and drafted Alabama standout Mac Jones in this year’s draft. Brian Hoyer returned to the organization as a reliable veteran backup in 2020 and ended up starting a game under center.
Amidst all of the quarterback movement, Jarrett Stidham has now become the longest tenured player at the position for the Patriots. But, the 2019 fourth-round draft pick has yet to get his moment to shine.
During a press conference on Monday, Stidham said that he still has his sights set on becoming the Patriots starting quarterback despite the team’s recent moves. He even claimed that it fired him up when New England drafted Jones this year and that he relished the opportunity to compete with the other players for the gig this summer.
“My goal is to be the quarterback here and to start football games for a really long time in this league,” Stidham said, via Zack Cox of NESN. “The mindset of that has never changed and never will change.”
Jarrett Stidham: “My goal is to be the quarterback here and to start football games for a really long time in this league. The mindset of that has never changed and never will change.”
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) June 14, 2021
Stidham has played in just eight games for the Patriots since coming into the league two full seasons ago. Most of those appearances have come in end-of-game situations, leaving the 24-year-old quarterback with a lack of recorded statistics. Through his first two years, he’s completed 50 percent of his passes (24-of-48) for 270 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
Stidham will have his work cut out for him to take over the organization’s starting quarterback job during the 2021 season. Newton has taken most of the first-team snaps during OTAs and Jones seems poised to be the future of the position once he develops.
But Stidham is still young and has the right mindset, which could lead to future opportunities elsewhere.
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