The New England Patriots believe they can win with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback.
As if passing on drafting a QB and signing a veteran QB wasn't a big-enough signal, this latest report reinforces that notion. According to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, the Patriots believe they can win with Stidham on a rookie deal. That means New England believes they can be contenders during the duration of Sitdham's contract, which lasts through the 2022 season.
The #Patriots believe they can win with Jarrett Stidham on a rookie deal, per @nfldraftscout. New England is “poised” for big free-agency runs in 2021 and 2022. They are projected to have $110M in cap space next offseason, currently 2nd-most in the #NFL.
— Catch The Blitz (@catchtheblitz) May 4, 2020
As noted in the tweet above, the Patriots have $110 million in cap space next offseason — the second-most in the NFL. Had they brought back Tom Brady, the franchise obviously wouldn't have that much cap space in hand. Keep in mind that Brady is earning $25 million per season in his new deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That is not even including the $9 million in incentives that he could earn. Putting everything together, that means Brady could earn $30 million per season.
By comparison, Stidham — who is a fourth-round draft pick on a rookie deal — is earning a little over $800,000 this season before he has cap hits of $1 million and $1.1 million over the next two seasons.
It's clear what the Patriots' strategy is. They clearly have confidence in the young quarterback and they partly chose him over Brady due to the clear difference in cap hit numbers. New England is saving themselves nearly $30 million per season to spend on other players. Factor in that Stidham is 20 years younger and is receiving rave reviews from within and around the organization. The move to allow Brady to sign with the Buccaneers makes even more sense.
The Patriots did not draft a single QB in the 2020 NFL Draft. Their only transactions at quarterback this offseason have been the signings of veteran journeyman Brian Hoyer and undrafted free agents J'Mar Smith and Brian Lewerke. They also passed on veterans Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton. It also appears unlikely Cam Newton will land in New England.
Love it or hate it, the Patriots are all-in on Stidham. We'll see during the 2020 season if that confidence in the young quarterback pays off.
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