Patriots have reason to monitor Jarrett Stidham

The New England Patriots currently employ the greatest quarterback of all time. They also employ Tom Brady. Alright, that’s premature. Jarrett Stidham is a mid-round rookie trying to make the team. Eventually, he will want to earn his way onto the field in a meaningful moment. Until then, he’s learning behind Brady, who is in fact the greatest of all time.

The Patriots are preparing to reach their fourth consecutive Super Bowl. That is something only ever done in league history by the 1990-93 Buffalo Bills. In that context, Jarrett Stidham is nothing more than an afterthought well down the depth chart behind a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Still, his development is worth noting. Especially when Brady is turning 42 years old and potentially an unrestricted free agent after this season.

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So far, the returns are good on the Auburn product, who turned garnered some attention down in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl in January. These days, it’s receiver Phillip Dorsett heaping praise on the youngster, per NFL.com:

“He’s getting more comfortable. He has a live arm, can make any throw. I like Jarrett. It’s the National Football League, and he’s young,” said receiver Phillip Dorsett, who’s been with the Pats since 2017. “Coming in here is tough. A lot of stuff gets thrown at you really fast and changes on the move, so you have to be able to adjust. He’s doing all right.”

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If Stidham ends up being a quality pick, perhaps he can be what Jimmy Garoppolo ended up not being in New England: the heir apparent to Brady. It’s arguably the toughest as for any player in football history, having to take the mantle of a man who has won five Super Bowls in his career and reached eight. Of course, we remain a long way off from that day or even the possibility of it, but Stidham has as good a chance as anybody to eventually be the man who steps into the void.

In the meantime, Brady readies for his 20th NFL season. The Patriots are gearing up for another run at the Lombardi Trophy, something that begins on Sept. 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. Brady will be at the helm, likely dicing up a Pittsburgh team which seldom stops him, while Stidham sits on the bench and hopes to one day be in such a spotlight.