NFL
By: Steve Atkinson
When Jarrett Stidham was drafted by the Patriots in 2019 in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. At that time Tom Brady was in the last year of his contract and speculation was that he was leaving the Patriots. Stidham was possibly rumored to be the successor to Tom Brady if he wasn’t on the Patriots anymore. However, that would not be the case. Stidham become the backup to Brady during the 2019 season, then Brady went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. During the COVID offseason of 2020 Stidham was tested to see if he would have the attributes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. However, he failed at that task and the Patriots singed Cam Newton at the end of July to be the starter.
According to Jimmy Stewart executive producer of Felger and Mazz on 98.5 The Sports Hub had reliable information as to why Stidham lost the starting job. “ Stidham leaving for Texas to go to a wedding and not completing their [Patriots] offseason program was a factor in Cam Newton being here.”
Jimmy Stewart also reported that Jarrett Stidham was in “awe” of Cam Newton. He was too busy being a cheerleader on the sidelines rather than competing and trying to be the next franchise quarterback. He fell to third in the quarterback room under Brian Hoyer in 2020. Then the Patriots draft Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. They had resigned Cam Newton again in March of 2021. Mac would compete for the starting job with Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham. He beat Stidham in a landslide as Stidham was probably too busy posting pictures on Instagram of vacation spots he went too. Which then gives the Patriots reason to sign Brian Hoyer again because they needed a leader in the quarterback room to work with Mac, not someone who is just a cheerleader collecting a paycheck.
Cam gets COVID and is cut from the Patriots and Mac Jones is named the starter. Stidham is once again behind Hoyer in the quarterback room for the 2021 season. The Patriots go 10-7 and looks like they have their successor to Tom Brady.
During the 2022 NFL draft the Patriots drafted Bailey Zappe at the end of the fourth round. With Stidham in his last year of his contract it looks like the new backup for Mac is going to be Zappe. Stidham was never the leader the Patriots thought he would be. During this year’s draft Mac Jones would share to Instagram a welcome post for each player the Patriots drafted. He even reached out to offensive lineman Cole Strange the Patriots first overall pick in this year’s draft and they went out to dinner on Friday night. Stidham was never serious about being a starter in the NFL. He was content on being a backup and that is obvious.
Who knows what happens next for Stidham maybe he plays for another team or maybe he does something else other than football. At the end of his rookie contract at the end of the 2022 season he would’ve made around $3 million. I’d see him being a second or third string quarterback somewhere but nothing more than that. He’s too busy being an social media influencer with his wife on Instagram. Matt Groh spoke on Saturday about picking Bailey Zappe.
Coach Helton gave him a lot of responsibility, and he really did a great job for his teams.
