Getty Cody Kessler was cut by the Eagles in August.
One of the biggest shocks of the final cutdown period for the New England Patriots was when veteran backup quarterback Brian Hoyer was released.
There was room enough to fit three quarterbacks on the roster, after all. And a big reason to keep Hoyer was to help rookie Jarrett Stidham get accustomed to the team under the tutelage of two veterans.
After Tom Brady missed time last week with a minor calf ailment, it became increasingly paramount for the Patriots to sign another quarterback to help facilitate the scout team offense. That led to the signing of Cody Kessler on Wednesday to the 53-man roster.
Kessler, who was originally cut by the Philadelphia Eagles out of training camp this season, has starting pedigree with both Cleveland and Jacksonville. He showed his mobility as a dual-threat last year with the Jaguars and could add an extra element to the Patriots offense if needed.
But how does that affect Stidham? The rookie backup made his NFL debut on Sunday throwing a pick-6 against the Jets before being abruptly yanked. Now, he has a new QB to compete with, but it might not be much of a contest.
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Kessler Gives Stidham More First-Team Reps
By having a third quarterback on the roster, the suggestion is that Kessler will take on more of the scout-team duties while Stidham will have an extended opportunity to focus on learning and playing with the starting offense.
If Stidham is to be the heir-apparent to Brady, he will need to prove he can work with the personnel on the Patriots roster. It also might signal Brady’s retirement is coming sooner rather than later, which means there’s an extra emphasis on grooming Stidham quickly to make for a seamless transition.
If this really is the rationale behind signing Kessler, it makes a lot of sense. But it also raises questions as to why Hoyer needed to be released at all.
Stidham Isn’t Ready Yet
Perhaps the indication is that Stidham isn’t yet ready for NFL action. It’s rare for a fourth-round draft pick to step right into an NFL game and be successful against any starting defense. Stidham is raw, as expected, and might need some extra time to get accustomed to the professional level of competition.
If this is the case then having Kessler as a backup isn’t the worst alternative. After all, he wasn’t exactly given the best group of receivers when he started eight games for the 1-15 Browns in 2016. He was sacked 21 times in nine games but did complete 65.6 percent of his passes. And it was Kessler who relieved an injured Robert Griffin III in the Browns lone win that season.
Kessler has NFL experience and when given adequate protection can be an effective quarterback. His presence could ease Stidham’s workload while also forcing the rookie to continue upping his game in practice to maintain his position as second-string.