Jarrett Stidham, Tom Brady, New England Patriots. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Jarrett Stidham is doing his best to fill the Tom Brady leadership void.
Replacing Tom Brady was never going to be easy for Jarrett Stidham.
The New England Patriots will have a new starting quarterback for the first time in decades. Brady took his talents to the Florida Gulf Coast to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though the Patriots could have signed someone in free agency or selected a player in April’s draft, New England is moving forward with Stidham as their guy under center in 2020.
While Stidham has no shot of being the next Tom Brady, he has to take on the tall task at hand to the best of his ability. It may not seem like much, but Stidham asserting himself as a leader during this offseason by organizing throwing sessions with this teammates is a step in the right direction.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported Friday, “On a recent day in Massachusetts, Stidham and a group of six teammates gathered at a private football field for their work, which focused intently on following social distancing guidelines.”
“Stidham has been a catalyst for the throwing sessions…which reflects a show of leadership as the Patriots transition from 19 seasons with Brady as the starting quarterback. Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round draft pick from Auburn, also has been visible in the New England community, as he and wife Kennedy donated 1,000 meals to children and families at a local YMCA in May.”
Reiss added “veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer has been present at the throwing sessions, along with wide receivers Julian Edelman and Gunner Olszewski, among a few others who have been in town during the coronavirus pandemic.”
Jarrett Stidham has stepped up as a leader for the New England Patriots.
Though this is a great stuff to see out of Stidham, how sure are we he’ll have any success quarterbacking the Patriots this fall? Not only did the Patriots lose Brady to the Buccaneers, but the organization lost legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia to retirement for a second time, and this time for good. That’s not great for Stidham’s development as a passer.
While we should expect the Patriots to have a strong defense under head coach Bill Belichick, what is there to like about the New England offense? Unless one of your family members plays on that side of the ball for the Patriots, it doesn’t move the needle. Plus, how sure are we Hoyer isn’t the better option to keep them playoff viable? He has won elsewhere before in his NFL career.
Ultimately, we will not know how the Stidham era in Foxborough will shake out until we see him start a few games under center for the Patriots. Thus far, he’s best known for throwing a pick-six to superstar safety Jamal Adams of the division rival New York Jets. If Stidham can play like he did with the 2017 Auburn Tigers, then New England may have a shot at the postseason after all.
Replacing Brady is impossible, but stepping up as a leader is a great thing to see out of Stidham.