A little over a month ago, Jarrett Stidham was the assumed starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in 2020.
Brian Hoyer was signed for knowledge of the playbook and veteran mentorship for a second-year quarterback who was set to replace arguably the greatest signal-caller to ever play. Tom Brady’s departure left many questions about the team’s future success and Stidham was prepared to prove his worth in the league.
But, Bill Belichick signed Cam Newton in early July and and flipped out MVP quarterbacks. Despite two injuries over the past two seasons, a semi-healthy Newton is clearly the better option over Stidham.
Patriots legendary coach Dante Scarnecchia weighed in on the quarterback battle and gravitated toward Newton earning the role.
“I think he has a huge edge, because of what he’s done in the league,” he said, transcribed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “The guy was an MVP [in 2015]. We played against him a number of times, have a huge respect for him as a player and leader, and the things he’s done. This guy, from a skill set, a lot different from guys we’ve had in there at quarterback over the years. [Jarrett] Stidham has great feet and ability to move and avoid the rush, and create and do a lot of similar things.
“I don’t think he’s to Cam’s skill set, but this guy is a pretty good player. He also has a tremendous work ethic and he’s a smart guy. I know this, you have to be a smart guy to play quarterback in that system. Having said all that, the cupboard is not half empty by any means. I think there is a lot of enthusiasm. The situation looks a lot different than it did two months ago.”
Newton has consistently worked out with his new receiving corps since signing the dotted lines and appears to be ready for his opportunity. The Patriots had eight players opt out for the 2020 season so far — making a much more difficult scenario for the former MVP.
If Scarnecchia believes Newton has a huge edge, that likely means he will be the Week 1 starter this season.
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