Patriots: Boston writer claims team could be upset with Jarrett Stidham over injury

The Patriots could reportedly be upset with QB Jarrett Stidham … why?

The New England Patriots alleged quarterback competition appears to be done and dusted following the latest update on Jarrett Stidham, who’s reportedly battling a leg/hip injury and has been limited in practice the last few days.

There’s growing concern from within the organization that the 2019 fourth-round pick won’t return to full strength for several weeks, which really sets the scene for free agent signing Cam Newton to take the proverbial bull by the horns and run away with the starting job.

We always expected the former MVP to come out on top, but shouldn’t we have anticipated Stidham making the battle more competitive than it seems? Before the injury, the 24-year-old gunslinger was extremely erratic under center during the early stages of camp.

According to Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal, both the injury and his struggle to find consistency has made the Patriots unhappy with the young quarterback.

“Stidham’s situation will do nothing to ally the growing concerns about him,” Bedard wrote in his column. “Internally, there’s been a frustration that Stidham hasn’t done more to grab the starting position to this point. He certainly started off strong, but has struggled since the first two days.”

You might be asking why the Patriots would be upset with Stidham for suffering an injury. Well, that’s because there’s so much mystery surrounding it. Nobody on New England’s coaching staff really knows what caused the ailment.

“If it’s an overuse injury — and sources believe that’s what this is — that will not be looked at favorably by the coaches. Players have had months to get ready for this camp, to prepare themselves. If you’re trying to be the franchise quarterback of the Patriots after Tom Brady and competing with Cam Newton, you are 100 percent physically ready to go and you do not miss reps for anything short of a major injury,” Bedard continued.

These quotes are incredibly damning and they don’t bode well for the Auburn product’s chances at winning the backup job behind Newton, let alone the starting gig. If there’s one thing we know about the Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick, it’s that they give opportunities to the players they trust.

This report suggests the franchise has lost a ton of the conviction that Stidham worked so hard to earn over the last several months. There’s still time for the second-year pro to win it back, but it seems like it’s going to take a lot of work if this report is any indication.