The Patriots have been blessed to have the same quarterback under center since Week 3 of the 2001 NFL season. Tom Brady has been remarkably durable and productive, in the 19 seasons he’s been with the Patriots, they’ve made the Super Bowl nine times and won six of them.
At a time where so many teams are searching for a franchise QB, the Patriots have had theirs under center every year. But what about his backups in 2019?
So, let’s take a brief snapshot of the position and see who stays, who goes and who is on the bubble as the team begins training camp in 2019.
Check back with PatsFans.com as we’ll go thru the entire roster as our primers for training camp continue before the heavy lifting starts on July 25.
Current roster – Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham, Danny Etling
Locks – Brady, Stidham
Near Lock – Hoyer
Long Shot – Etling
Discussion – Well it comes as no surprise that Brady is a lock, as he has been every year since 2002. As we mentioned above, Brady has been remarkably durable and productive in his career. Other than 2008, when a low hit blew out his ACL, he hasn’t missed a game due to injury. (Note: He did miss four games due to weather conditions as they related to football air pressure)
The Patriots have been to the last three Super Bowls with the team winning two of them. Brady has started 267 regular-season games for the Patriots and won 207 of them. He’s won 30 of 40 playoff games. Last year he threw for 4355 yards and 29 TDs.
Every year since his injury in 2008 the hot-take artists tell you “this is the year Brady falls back” and every year the Patriots either make it to the conference championship game or the Super Bowl.
Stidham by nature of his draft status is a lock for the 2019 season. There is a lot to like in his game, and there is also a long way to go for him as a rookie QB. He throws a very nice, tight spiral and has a nice blend of size, arm strength, and athleticism. He blends well with a quick read offense, which should help him in New England.
His issues in college centered around the Auburn offense which makes for a horrible transition to the pro game. They ran a one-read only offense which stifles a QB’s development. In the spring Stidham got a lot of snaps and looked alternately good and awful at times, which is expected for a rookie QB trying to learn a new system and language. He’s a developmental prospect.
Hoyer should be safe this summer. He’s a long-time veteran with a veteran’s savvy and knowledge of the opponents around the league. So he’s a good sounding board for Brady on the sidelines as well as help the team prepare the week before games.
He can be counted on to come on in the case of emergency and it is doubtful, at least at this point that Stidham will progress enough to push him this summer for the backup role. If everything falls into place for Stidham, he’ll push Hoyer for the backup role next summer. But for now, Hoyer should be considered a near-lock.
Etling is the odd man out. With the drafting of Stidham, the writing was on the wall for the 2nd year QB. He wasn’t getting any team’s 11-on-11 work in mini-camp. And he was acting as the personal punt protector in his only work in full-team drills. So, with the exception of an injury to someone, Etling is a real long shot to stick around.
Frankly, we were a little surprised that he wasn’t released after mini-camp, so perhaps he can still work his way onto the practice squad this summer. But for a 53-man roster slot? The chances of that appear mighty slim.
The 2019 Patriots are set at quarterback with Brady once again at the helm. Will they commit to him beyond this season? That is something we heard…and reported as a done deal back in the spring. But it has not happened; perhaps they’ll get it done once camp gets underway.
However, after Brady the Patriots choices at quarterback, at least for now are uninspiring. That will be up to Mr. Stidham to change.
Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]
Listen to our Patriots 4th and 2 podcasts on blog talk radio as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and myself from PatsFans.com discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
Support Steve and buy him a coffee.
Support Us: Help Us Compete Against The Corporate Media Giants
We need your help. If you enjoy our content, please help us beat Google's Corporate algorithm by adding us as a preferred source on Google News.
Click the button below and check the box next to "PatsFans.com"
Add as a preferred source on Google News
A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
