Jarrett Stidham hasn’t won the New England Patriots ‘ starting quarterback job yet, but he’s reportedly working towards it even before fall camp starts. ESPN ‘s Mike Reiss reported on Friday that Stidham has been organizing throwing sessions with a number of his teammates. Those sessions are said to have helped him get more comfortable with some of the guys he’ll be playing alongside and also showing them his leadership skills.
Stidham and a group of six teammates reportedly recently gathered at a private football field for their work. They were also reportedly very careful to follow social distancing rules while they carried out their impromptu practice.
Reiss said the Patriots’ quarterback has been the catalyst of several other practices like this, according to his sources. Those sources also told the reporter that Stidham organizing the practices was viewed as taking charge of the team and demonstrating leadership.
Reiss added that the quarterback has been showing his leadership skills in other ways. That includes helping out in the community as it attempts to regroup from the coronavirus outbreak. Stidham and his wife donated more than 1,000 meals to a New England area YMCA in May.
The sun & warmth were not the only surprises today. A big thank you to Patriots Quarterback @Jarrett_Stidham and his wife @kennedystidham_ for reaching out to us to help & providing over 1,000 @attleborocfa1 lunches today for children & families in our #community #BeCauseY pic.twitter.com/AMTrZTG9iv
— Hockomock Area YMCA (@HockomockYMCA) May 15, 2020
While Stidham is attempting to win the starting quarterback job for the Patriots, he hasn’t excluded his competition from participating in the practices. Veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer has reportedly been present at several of the throwing sessions. Hoyer was signed this offseason by the Patriots and is expected to battle Stidham over the course of the offseason and fall camp for the starting job. Receivers and other players like Julian Edelman, Damiere Byrd, and Gunner Olszewski have come to the informal practice sessions as well.
Those sessions are still having to be organized outside of team facilities. The NFL is allowing coaches and some staff to return to franchise headquarters around the league. Players who aren’t rehabbing an injury are not allowed to report to the facilities for another few weeks at least.
The workouts aren’t the first time Patriots players have reportedly stepped forward and talked about how Stidham has impressed them. As The Inquisitr reported earlier this spring, running back Rex Burkhead said he was impressed with the young quarterback despite Stidham’s lack of playing time last season.
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Patriots, the quarterback appeared in just three games last year. Over those appearances, Stidham threw a total of four passes for 14 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown and he did log one interception.