The New England Patriots are set to kick off the preseason against the Detroit Lions on Thursday. It appears they will be without the services of quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady has become accustomed to sitting out of the preseason opener in recent years. According to Kevin Duffy of the Boston Herald, he will keep his streak going by not laying against the Lions:

For the fourth consecutive year, Tom Brady will get the night off in the Patriots’ preseason opener, according to a source.

The move should hardly come as any surprise since most teams have taken a cautious approach by sitting their starters out for the preseason.

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Although it remains to be seen whether or not head coach Bill Belichick will stay true to the trend moving forward, there is little to gain and plenty to lose from the risks of having Brady play in an exhibition game. As a result, he will be rooting his team on from the sidelines in Detroit this week.

Brady's absence will clear the way for quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham to take over the offense. The veteran Hoyer has already been pegged as the backup, however, it seems Stidham has was able to turn heads during the Patriots' joint practices with the Lions. This suggests that there could be a bit of a quarterback duel brewing for the No. 2 spot.

There is no question that Hoyer's experience brings some much-needed stability behind Brady.

Regardless, New England appears to be holding out hope for Stidham's prospects as a potential successor under center in the near future after taking him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.