Patriots Rumors: NE Loves Jarrett Stidham After Tom Brady's Exit

The New England Patriots reportedly have faith in quarterback Jarrett Stidham. 

On Tuesday, franchise legend Tom Brady officially parted ways with the only NFL franchise he's ever known, but New England loves his backup under center, according to NFL Network's Peter Schrager: 

"They love Jarrett Stidham. They love the future of Jarrett Stidham. They also love the salary of Jarrett Stidham, he'll make about $600,000 next year as a fourth-round pick. If you look at the way they want to build this team, they can now explore all options. I think the Brady situation, it was not something they could figure out at the witching hour."

Stidham, who will turn 24 in August, was taken 133rd overall by the Patriots in the 2019 draft. The Auburn alum saw action in just three games last season, completing two of his four passes for 14 yards and an interception. He had a QB rating of 18.7.

Small sample size aside, only the New England coaching staff knows what it really has on its hands with the team's presumptive QB1. As Schrager noted, the most important thing Stidham gives New England is options. 

The quarterback is under team control through the 2022 season, at which point he'll carry a $1.1 million cap hit. It doesn't hurt that the Patriots have 12 selections in the draft this year, including three third-rounders and four sixth-rounders. 

New England has never been shy about taking risks on late-round picks. Wideout Julian Edelman was a seventh-round pick. Running back Rex Burkhead—who's been in Foxborough for three seasons—was originally a Cincinnati Bengals sixth-rounder. And, of course, the team famously took Brady 199th overall in 2000. 

On top of that, New England is set to enter free agency in 2021 with $116.9 million in cap space, per Spotrac. That number will surely go down as the Patriots re-sign and add players over the next 12 months, but it helps show how Brady's departure gives them flexibility. 

In the meantime, it appears New England is going to roll with Stidham.