When Tom Brady left the New England Patriots in free agency, his former backup stayed behind as the presumptive heir to his former starting quarterback position. Jarrett Stidham may have only attempted a handful of regular season passes during his rookie season, but he showed enough promise over the course of his first year in the league to be projected to make a serious push for the role even after veteran Brian Hoyer was re-signed.
Then came Cam Newton, however, and a different outlook with the former NFL MVP on board: Stidham was no longer projected to have the inside track for Brady’s old job, but rather to engage in a competition with the long-time Carolina Panthers starter.