NFL: New England Patriots Jarett Stidham Remains Likely Starter Despite Cam Newton’s Signing

Major news hit the league recently with Cam Newton agreeing to a deal with the New England Patriots. While the former NFL MVP remains as one of the more intriguing talents in the sport, Patriots quarterback Jarett Stidham appears to be in a position to start over Newton.

The departure of Tom Brady from the New England Patriots has caused a major change for the AFC East given how the legendary quarterback has dominated the division for decades. Throughout Brady’s stint with the Patriots, he’s led his team to multiple wins and six Super Bowl titles. Upon his exit, this resulted in a free-for-all chase in the AFC East predictions with the Buffalo Bills leading the charge.

Given the recent Newton signing, the Patriots were able to propel themselves back into the conversation. It has been a rough few months for Newton as multiple rumors have circulated regarding his status. With New England finalizing the deal, the highly decorated superstar is ready to make an impact again in the league.

But as impressive as Newton’s accolades may have been throughout his career, there’s a chance that he may not come off as an immediate starter for the team. Ever since Brady announced his departure months ago, Stidham has been perceived as the next in line for the organization.

Per Musket Fire, Stidham may have what it takes to be the starting signal-caller over Newton. This is because of the familiarity he has with the whole Patriots organization. Given that he was under the wing of Brady since entering the team, the 23-year-old has been learned the ropes of how the offense flows for New England.

To add to this, Stidham has been present with the team especially during the rough offseason with the current pandemic and the departure of their legendary captain.

The Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick has said before that Stidham has a lot of potential for the team in the future.

“He was our backup quarterback the entire season, and I know he’s working hard in the offseason. I know he’s made a lot of progress in terms of understanding our offense and understanding opponent defenses like all players do from year one to year two,” Belichick said before by way of NESN.

The addition of the 2015 NFL MVP can bring a lot of hope back to the Patriots. It will be interesting to see how the starting lineup would look like when everything has settled down in New England.