It’s starting to feel like we finally can say it definitively: Jarrett Stidham is going to be the Patriots’ starting quarterback come Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.
Stidham effectively took over the top spot on New England’s QB depth chart upon Tom Brady leaving the team in free agency, but there still was room for shuffling after TB12’s exit. However, the Patriots elected not to draft a quarterback this year, and it doesn’t appear as though they’re going to pursue a veteran signal-caller.
As such, it’s now Stidham’s time to shine, and NFL analyst Peter Schrager is excited to see what the 2019 fourth-rounder can do. Schrager last week tabbed Stidham as the quarterback he expects to “level up,” or exceed expectations, in the upcoming season.
“I mean, if this is gonna be his team, let’s have ‘Stid the Kid’ take them there,” Schrager said on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “I’m so fascinated to see what the Patriots end up doing and if it is No. 4 in Patriots colors who we know from three preseason games and a drive against the Jets where he threw a pick six, well, then let’s do it. …Never the guy in the SEC or even on the national level, and now you’re telling me he’s going to be the quarterback of the Patriots? This is the guy that I have to see and I cannot wait to see what we have in store. We might have another future star in the league.”
“We might have another future star in the league.” ?
Which QB do you expect to “level up” in 2020? ?
?: @gmfb pic.twitter.com/S8nYNodnpR
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 1, 2020
The shoes Stidham has been tasked with filling are about as big as can be. But those who have worked with the 23-year-old in the past are confident he’s up for the challenge.
Patriots fans surely are hoping so, as it likely will be an awfully trying season if Stidham underperforms.
