Cam Newton versus Jarrett Stidham
The worst-kept secret at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, outside of the fact that the true stars of the Combine were the security dogs, was that Tom Brady was leaving the New England Patriots.
Anyone who ran such stories to the ground heard from the organization that nothing was official, but was also told various versions of the following line: “The team really likes the Stidham kid.” Dating back to drafting Jarrett Stidham in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, the organization has been excited about the development he made during last year’s training camp and throughout the season.
So when the Brady move to Tampa Bay became official, many wondered what that meant for the future of the Patriots’ quarterback room. But those same stories were again recycled. The team really likes the young passer. Even defensive back Devin McCourty spoke highly of the Auburn product, talking about how the rookie got the Patriots’ defense ready each week in practice.
That led those in the media to believe that Stidham really was the future, and when the Patriots passed on every available quarterback during the draft, those thoughts were cemented. Trust me, I wrote almost 3,000 words on how Stidham was the plan.
Thankfully, from my perspective, buried at the end of that piece was this little nugget: “Now yes, there are creative ways to get around the cap and structure deals. If the team wanted to, they could probably find a way to get a deal done with [Cam] Newton. And yes, in a vacuum Newton is a better quarterback than Stidham right now. And yes, as Doug Farrar recently argued Newton could fit in New England’s offense.”
Man I’m glad I slid that little qualifier in.
Because that is exactly what happened. The organization brought in Newton on a veteran minimum deal buoyed with incentives. But now, is he guaranteed the job? Or will Stidham have the inside track on the spot given his year of service with the team? This is one of a few quarterback battles to watch.