Brian Hoyer may start over Jarrett Stidham, per Ian Rapoport

At least one NFL insider believes that Brian Hoyer will start over Jarrett Stidham this season at quarterback for the New England Patriots.

Ever since Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay, Pats Nation has been eager to see if 23-year-old quarterback Jarrett Stidham has the chops to keep New England dominant as the league continues to change.

However, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Stidham may not get his opportunity at the season opener, per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson.

In an interview with Rich Eisen on his eponymous radio show, Rapoport remarked that the Pats’ veteran backup QB Brian Hoyer may be tapped to start over Stidham:

"“My guess right now is Brian Hoyer is the starting quarterback of the Patriots in 2020, but I think that is something that will be ever-evolving as we get through next season.”"

This isn’t any average hot take. Rapoport is one of the premier insiders when it comes to breaking NFL news, and while he’s not guaranteed to be correct, his beliefs and connections carry weight.

He also remarked that he expects New England to spend a “premium pick” on a quarterback in next week’s draft. The Pats only have one pick in the first two rounds (No. 23), so that’s logically where they might make the play. Coach/GM Belichick isn’t known to trade up.

So, while we can’t know for sure if the team favors Jarrett Stidham over Brian Hoyer, let’s pretend for the moment that it’s actually a fact. It’s true that young quarterbacks often sit behind veteran QBs to get a feel for the playbook, but it’s less common for them to sit for multiple years.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes burst out of the gate in the first week of his second year, and Giants QB Daniel Jones only needed a few weeks to replace Eli Manning. The Broncos’ Drew Lock is another recent example of a mid-year starter.

On the other hand, recent quarterbacks that rode the bench in their second year include Josh Rosen, who was replaced in Miami by Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the Jets’ 2016 second-round pick Christian Hackenberg, who didn’t take a single snap in the NFL.

What I’m trying to say is if Stidham has had a full year to warm up behind Tom Brady — and is then replaced by a 34-year-old Hoyer who just came off of the third-string QB position on the Indianapolis Colts — it probably means he’s terrible.

Stidham seems like a nice fellow, but if Hoyer’s truly a better quarterback, then it doesn’t seem like Stidham has much of a future on the Pats.

If that’s the case, it’s very realistic to expect New England to aim for a quarterback with the 23rd pick. There are dozens of opinions on who exactly that quarterback could be, from a fallen Tua Tagovailoa to Florida International University’s James Morgan.

Ian Rapoport, of course, could still be totally wrong about this scoop. He may have gotten incorrect info, or the remark could have been a mere opinion.

We’ll have a clearer picture of New England’s QB situation after the first round of the NFL Draft, but as of right now, Jarrett Stidham is still Tom Brady’s heir apparent.

Here’s to hoping there’s more to him than meets the eye.