Despite his lack of experience and a real opportunity, the evaluations, and reviews on the New England Patriots QB Jarrett Stidham continue to roll in. To a degree, it comes with the territory.
It’s not every day a guy is replacing the greatest QB in NFL history who happened to captain a 20-year dynasty. The latest person to weigh-in on Stidham as a QB of the future for the Patriots is former NFL QB, current NFL analyst, and son of New York Giants great Phil Simms, Chris Simms.
Chris Simms Compares Stidham to Tony Romo
While some may say former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo didn’t prove he could win big games during his career, few will doubt his physical talent. Therefore, when Simms drops this piece of his evaluation on Stidham, Patriots fans should read it with pleasure and hope.
“First off, I loved [Stidham] coming out of college,” Simms said this on Pro Football Talk. “I saw a lot of him in preseason last year and loved the way he looked. Really, when you look at him, there’s nothing to say or look at him physically and go, ‘Oh, there’s a weakness to his football game.’ He reminds me a little of Tony Romo. He’s a very pure thrower of the football. He’s got great mechanics, he’s natural that way. He’s smart, and we know he’s being well-schooled up there in New England.”
It almost sounds as if Simms was giving Stidham a ringing endorsement, and one that validates the Patriots potentially handing the second-year pro the keys to the car Tom Brady drove for two decades.
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However, Simms offered a sobering ranking for Stidham when compared to the other quarterbacks in the NFL. Simms rates Stidham just 35th among NFL quarterbacks, and he offered this about him during his appearance on the program.
“He doesn’t have as strong of an arm as Tom Brady, but it’s not far off — it’s right there in that range. It’s a really good arm, and he’s a good athlete. Not an athlete that’s going to run for a ton of yards, but can move around the pocket and extend plays that way. That’s what I’m excited about with Jarrett Stidham: He’s got great feel. He’s a natural at playing the quarterback position, let alone, he’s got skills that can really shine and stand out as well.”
As of now, every evaluation is flawed. There simply isn’t enough to look at on the pro level to judge Stidham. Also, the college tape may be contaminated by poor play at the skill positions and a offensive system that didn’t fit Stidham’s talents.
Lastly, none of it takes into account any potential improvement Stidham has shown since his last time on the field.
I know it’s hard, but we’ll all just have to wait and see.
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