New England Patriots: Is Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer the better quarterback option?
If the New England Patriots decide on either Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer at quarterback in 2020, who would make for a better option to lead the offense?
Although there is uncertainty off the field at the present time for every team around the NFL, there is also a level of uncertainty for the New England Patriots on the field as well. Going into the 2020 season, New England is entering somewhat of unfamiliar territory when it comes to its personnel on the offensive side of the ball. Specifically, the quarterback position.
For the first time in 20 years, the Patriots are on the search for a new quarterback since they drafted future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Brady left the only team he’s ever played for earlier this offseason to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a two-year deal.
Brady leaving New England ends a dynasty of six Super Bowl championships and unprecedented success. The Patriots are now faced with the decision of who they would like to take over for the offense during the 2020 campaign and in the future.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Currently, there are two options on New England’s roster for possibilities at quarterback this year. Those two options consist of 2019 fourth-round draft choice Jarrett Stidham and veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer.
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Patriots could look to one of those two players to take over starting quarterback duties in 2020, with the likelihood of the team going out and making a big move at the position unlikely to take place this offseason.
At the end of the March, Schefter went on ESPN’s “Get Up!” and mentioned he believes the Patriots will choose between either Stidham or Hoyer to take over under center this season. On Tuesday morning, Shefter once again echoed that statement, adding that the Patriots could decide between the two quarterbacks while also looking to draft a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft.
If this quarterback competition to replace one of the best quarterbacks in league history comes down to Stidham and Hoyer, who would be the better option to take over the offense? Let’s dive into each candidate.
When it comes to Stidham, the Patriots appear to be very high on the 24-year-old quarterback who they drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. That alone could persuade the organization to start developing Stidham for the future.
Stidham appeared in a total of three games during his rookie campaign last season, making only four passing attempts as a backup to Brady. He hasn’t really gotten a full-fledged chance to show us what he is capable of doing leading the New England offense, so the 2020 season could be very telling when it comes to the future projections of Stidham’s potential.
Hoyer, on the other hand, is a familiar face for the Patriots and a player they could lean on to take things over this season while continuing to try and develop Stidham behind him.
Hoyer, who spent last season with the Indianapolis Colts and is set to turn 35 in October, is familiar with the New England offense after playing for the organization in two different instances throughout his career (2009-11 and 2017-18).
Hoyer is a 59.1 percent career passer, throwing for 52 touchdowns and 34 interceptions during his lengthy career. He has spent the majority of his career as a backup quarterback, with the most starts in a single season coming in 2014 when he started 10 games with the Cleveland Browns.
Next. NFL Free Agency: Grades for all 32 teams. dark
If New England decides to go with Hoyer, it is certainly a possibility that it ends up making a gradual shift to inserting Stidham into the starting role as the regular season progresses. That all depends on how Stidham looks leading up to the start of the year.
The 2020 season will be interesting for many different reasons both on the field and off, but one of the intriguing storylines on the field will come in New England as the Patriots attempt to move on and replace Brady moving forward.