Patriots: Fans will love Cam Newton’s Jarrett Stidham praise
By Jerry Trotta
Patriots fans will love Cam Newton’s praise for backup Jarrett Stidham.
We’d be the first admit that New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has struggled to find consistency in the pocket this season. In certain games, he’s looked a lot like the perennial superstar he was before injuries started piling up over his final years in Carolina.
In others, however, the 31-year-old has looked entirely lost, almost finding it impossible to establish a rhythm. For the season, Newton is completing 66.7% of his passes for 2,053 yards and five touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. Those stats look a lot better when you tack on his rushing numbers, but they still serve as a microcosm of his struggles as a passer.
This has led to Newtons splitting opinions among the fan base in terms of whether the Patriots should bring him back on the cheap or pursue alternative options in the offseason, and understandably so.
What fans can’t deny, however, is the fact that — despite his inconsistencies — Newton hasn’t stopped leading, and his comments about backup Jarrett Stidham during his weekly segment with WEEI radio prove that.
Cam Newton via @TheGregHillShow on Jarrett Stidham: "His growth and his development has really caught my attention. ... Just to see him grow is something I am extremely pleased about."
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) December 8, 2020
Newton’s been far from perfect as a performer this season, but it’s been awesome to watch him emerge as one of the prominent voices in the Patriots’ locker room. That couldn’t have been easy for him joining a new team with a cutthroat culture and six championships over the last 20 years, but the former MVP has amazingly made a seamless transition in that department.
You can bet that this praise resonated with Stidham, who seemingly lost the trust of the coaching staff during training camp and has been a disaster in his limited appearances off the bench this season.
However, the 2019 fourth-round pick bounced back with a promising showing in the Patriots’ shutout win over the Chargers this past Sunday, finishing 2-of-3 for 61 yards and a pretty-looking touchdown strike in garbage time.
On @TheGregHillShow, Cam Newton shares that he had a conversation with Jarrett Stidham in the QB room on Monday, and how he told him how impressed he was with his TD throw late on Sunday.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 8, 2020
"I'm so proud of Stid...His growth and development has caught my attention," Newton said.
Whether or not the Patriots end up making the playoffs, you can count on Newton to continue boosting the morale of his teammates, regardless of his performance.
Not many teams in the NFL can say that about their starting quarterback, and we seriously hope fans realize that.
