The New England Patriots’ quarterback depth chart gained a new (and familiar) member Tuesday.
The Patriots officially activated Jarrett Stidham off the physically unable to perform list, adding him to the 53-man roster ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round draft pick, returned to practice three weeks ago after undergoing back surgery at the start of training camp. Per NFL rules, he would have reverted to season-ending PUP had he not been activated by Wednesday.
It’s unclear whether Stidham or veteran Brian Hoyer will serve as New England’s primary backup behind rookie starter Mac Jones. Hoyer has handled those duties so far this season, but Stidham was the Patriots’ preferred QB2 for the final 12 weeks of last season, making five relief appearances.
In his career, Stidham has seen action in eight games, completing 24 of 48 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns with four interceptions. The 25-year-old Auburn product has yet to make an NFL start.
New England also has fourth quarterback, Garrett Gilbert, on its practice squad.
Stidham took the roster spot previously occupied by offensive lineman James Ferentz, who was released Monday. Ferentz plans to re-sign to the practice squad, according to a report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
In another Tuesday transaction, the Patriots cut veteran cornerback Brian Poole from the practice squad. Poole signed in late October after slot corner Jonathan Jones suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
Defensive tackle Byron Cowart, who returned to practice the same day Stidham did, would revert to PUP and be eligible to play this season if he is not added to the roster by Wednesday.
The Patriots also hosted three free agents for workouts Tuesday, per the NFL transaction wire, bringing in linebacker Nathan Gerry, defensive back Tae Hayes and defensive end Carlo Kemp.
Gerry is the most experienced of the three, starting 19 games for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He was released from the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad last week. Hayes has appeared in six career games across stints with Jacksonville, Miami and Minnesota. Kemp is an undrafted rookie out of Michigan who spent the preseason with Green Bay.
The 5-4 Patriots will host the 5-4 Browns on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
