The New England Patriots could've opted to start second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham this week with Cam Newton struggling, but head coach Bill Belichick reiterated that they're going to stick with the former Carolina Panthers signal-caller at QB.
If Newton continues to struggle against the Jets on Monday night, Belichick still probably won't turn to Stidham. According to Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston, the Patriots "don't feel very good about" the young passer right now.
"The Patriots don't feel very good about Jarrett Stidham...no compete in terms of trying to win that job away from Cam Newton. I think that that is a big strike against him." https://t.co/3bc8kYCjgw
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) November 9, 2020
Stidham lost the quarterback battle during training camp, but he also was dealing with an injury during that period, which likely hurt his chances of being named QB1. Still, Stidham has appeared in two games this season ... and he hasn't been very good.
The 24-year-old has completed just 47.8% of his passes for 124 yards and one touchdown against three interceptions on the year.
Stidham hasn't impressed since being drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and it appears New England doesn't believe he is its future franchise quarterback ... which is understandable -- He's appeared in five career games, with four interceptions.
If the Patriots continue to struggle, they'll have a chance to select one of the top quarterbacks in the 2021 draft. But it's still too early to tell, and they could easily right the ship in the coming weeks.
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