Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham are competing to replace Tom Brady as the New England Patriots' starting quarterback in 2020, but that doesn't mean they aren't helping each other in the run-up to the season. While Stidham has reportedly been a "catalyst" for private throwing sessions during the Pats' disrupted offseason, both QBs have been working together at recent unofficial practices, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss, in an effort to share the burden of succeeding Brady.
"At one of the recent Patriots private throwing sessions that quarterback Jarrett Stidham helped organize with teammates, there was no center on the field, so Stidham was snapping the ball to Brian Hoyer," Reiss reported. "And vice versa. The exchanges highlight an important working dynamic between the two: They are fiercely competitive in hopes of being the successor to Tom Brady, but also sacrificing to help each other. Teams can't force a positive working relationship between their top quarterbacks, but with Hoyer's experience and top-shelf professionalism, it was never really in question how it would look this year in New England."
It shouldn't be too surprising, either, considering the resumes of both Hoyer and Stidham.
The former may have more experience working under Bill Belichick, having spent five seasons over two different stints with New England. But he's only once started more than 10 games in his career and has never appeared as the Patriots' first-string QB.
Stidham, on the other hand, was a notable investment as a fourth-round draft pick out of Auburn in 2019. He's also received a handful of endorsements from returning Patriots veterans. And yet he's thrown just four career passes after spending most of his rookie year on the bench. The second-year QB also won't have the benefit of a full, normal offseason because of pandemic-induced restrictions.
At this point, it remains unclear who will actually open the 2020 season under center for the Patriots, though Stidham has reportedly long had the "inside track" to replace Brady, even if Hoyer opens training camp as the official No. 1.
