Matt Light explains why Patriots remain publicly quiet on Jarrett Stidham

“You’re not hearing anything because there’s nothing to be said.”

Bill Belichick has a certain way he runs the New England Patriots and keeping personnel news on the hush is near the top of his list.

If Belichick wants the public to know something, the public will know. When it comes to Jarrett Stidham and replacing Tom Brady — he has nothing to say. Stidham is the assumed starter, given the fact Belichick deferred to draft or sign a quarterback in free agency. Whether or not Stidham will suit up the first game in September — hasn’t even remotely been said.

Matt Light, who spent 11 seasons with the team, joined the Pat McAfee Show Thursday and explained the silence on the quarterback situation.

“You’re not hearing anything because there’s nothing to be said,” Light said, transcribed by WEEI. “And that is 11 years of being in the system, but in a lot of ways it is 100 percent factual, right? Bill wasn’t lying. He doesn’t know which one of his guys is going to be the guy yet. I think they have a lot of confidence in Jarrett Stidham, I think they have liked what they’ve seen. I think he’s had a pretty good opportunity to study from the best. I think he understands what’s expected of him.”

New England’s quarterback room consists of Stidham, Brian Hoyer and two undrafted guys in J’Mar Smith and Brian Lewerke. Hoyer’s on his third stint with the team and has extensive knowledge he can provide Stidham with. It seems clear that Stidham is the guy, and a lot of people think he can thrive in a near impossible situation.

“Can he deliver? I mean there’s a lot of things that need to come together before you can answer that question. Is he capable? Sure. Would Bill say that? Never. There’s just no upside to saying it so he’s not going to do it,” Light continued. “So, you’re just going to feel as if there is a lot of uncertainty where there probably is a lot more comfort than you’ll ever realize.

“But, when the bullets are flying for real, we’re going to find out what he can and can’t do and there’s going to be a lot of people chomping at the bit to expose what he can’t do very well and I think Bill is going to do a good job of eliminating how much they expose his kind of lack of experience early in the season. They are going to take care of him and manage him as best they can. What they really need is the offensive line to go above and beyond.”

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