The New England Patriots are holding an open competition between their three quarterbacks that is in all likelihood going to be won by either Cam Newton or Jarrett Stidham, but the two may be trending in opposite directions early on in training camp.
Stidham had a brutal practice on Tuesday. The second-year QB threw three interceptions in just 11 pass attempts as he split reps evenly with Newton and Brian Hoyer. The three picks came in the span of five throws, and there was no indication that any of them were tipped balls.
First interception of camp. Stidham tried to hit Damiere Byrd outside the left hash but Michael Jackson, ah hem, beat it.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 18, 2020
Stephon Gilmore just grabbed his first interception of training camp. Gilmore hasn’t allowed a completion yet in two practices. He jumped Stidham’s throw for Devin Ross.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 18, 2020
Kyle Dugger has his first interception now, too. Stidham badly underthrew Damiere Byrd for his second consecutive pick and his third in five throws.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 18, 2020
You could argue that practice doesn’t mean much, but it is more important than ever this offseason. Quarterback competitions typically play out in preseason games, but those have all been canceled. That means Patriots coach Bill Belichick will have to choose a Week 1 starter based on training camp alone, so Stidham can’t have too many days like Tuesday if he wants to win the job. He looked more comfortable than Newton on Monday, but Belichick will want to see progression rather than regression.
Newton also threw an interception, but he completed 9-of-12 passes with two drops.
Newton is still familiarizing himself with New England’s offense, but Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald said Monday that teammates have credited the former NFL MVP with revitalizing the locker room.
While there have been indications that Stidham has a better chance at winning the starting job than some believe, Belichick is unlikely to play favorites. The Patriots signed Newton because of his enormous potential — not because they want him as a backup.
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