Jarrett Stidham is headed to Patriots West.
New England is finalizing a trade that would send the fourth-year quarterback to the Las Vegas Raiders for a swap of late-round draft picks, according to multiple reports Thursday.
98.5 The Sports Hub producer James Stewart was the first to report news of an impending Stidham deal.
The Patriots will receive a sixth-round pick in exchange for Stidham and a seventh, per NFL Media's Tom Pelissero.
The trade will reunite Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round draft pick, with former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who left New England earlier this offseason to take over as Raiders head coach. The Auburn product appeared in eight games, all in relief, during his three seasons with the Patriots and did not play a snap in 2021 after undergoing back surgery last July.
McDaniels has stocked his roster and coaching staff with ex-Patriots since arriving in Vegas in January, signing the likes of Chandler Jones, Brandon Bolden, Jakob Johnson, Duron Harmon, Jacob Hollister, Tashawn Bower and Garrett Gilbert. Stidham will compete with Gilbert and Nick Mullens for the top backup job behind longtime Raiders starter Derek Carr.
Stidham's exit from Foxboro felt inevitable after the Patriots selected Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. That draft slot all but guarantees Zappe a roster spot this season, and 36-year-old backup Brian Hoyer projects as a roster lock, as well, after re-signing on a two-year contract that included $3 million guaranteed.
Hoyer and Zappe will fill out the depth chart behind second-year starter Mac Jones, who showed franchise QB potential as a rookie last season. Undrafted rookie D'Eriq King also will compete for a roster spot as a multipositional offensive weapon.
