Jarrett Stidham may be entirely unproven, but that doesn't mean the New England Patriots aren't high on him heading into 2020.
Count running back Rex Burkhead among those who likes what they have seen from the young quarterback thus far:
“Very impressed,” Burkhead said on OMF with Glenn Ordway, Christian Fauria and Lou Merloni, as transcribed by WEEI. “Last year even though he didn’t step on the field that much, just seeing his improvement every day on the practice field, in meetings. He’s a very humble guy and he came in eager to work right away and picked it up so quickly. I think that is what struck me, how quickly he picked up the offense from the get-go. He’s out there making calls, making adjustments in audibles like he has been in this system for a while. I’m excited for him.”
Stidham, who played his collegiate football at Auburn, was originally selected by the Patriots in the fourth round (133rd pick overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.
He spent his rookie campaign playing behind Tom Brady, throwing just four passes and an interception, but with Brady taking his talents to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency, Stidham appears to be the favorite to start under center for New England next season.
“We know we have a lot of work that needs to be done,” added Burkhead. “It’s kind of a new era of Patriots football without Tom. We’re looking forward to it. We’re looking forward to getting better whenever we’re back together.”
Brady had been the Pats' starting quarterback since 2001, leading the franchise to six Super Bowl championships during that span. Stidham certainly has some big shoes to fill.
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