One Bill Belichick’s Small Comment Shocked Skip Bayless

Head coach Bill Belichick’s comment got Patriots fans talking, and Skip Bayless started off a conversation. The Patriots head coach talked about the team, Tom Brady’s departure and his replacement. Second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham s frontrunner to replace the GOAT. The Patriots also signed Brian Hoyer, and these two may compete for a place on the roster. Belichick can also go after a quarterback in the NFL draft.

“When it was time to talk about the other quarterbacks, about Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham, he referred to Brian Hoyer as ‘Brian,’ and then he referred to Jarrett Stidham as ‘Stid,’ ” Bayless said Tuesday on FS1’s “Undisputed.” “We heard on the podcasts that the McCourtys did the other day, they call him ‘Stiddy’ — with a ‘y’ on it; ‘Stiddy.’ But Belichick just called him ‘Stid.’ Stid?

“I have been closely observing Bill Belichick for at least 20 years, in large part because of Tom Brady. But in all those 20 years of me following the Patriots … I can’t remember one time that Bill Belichick ever referred to any player he’s ever coached by his nickname. He’s not a nickname user. Especially with an unproven, young quarterback — a second-year quarterback. What are you doing? Seriously. Stid? Did he ever call Tom ‘Tommy?’ No. Not one time that I ever heard.”

Bill Belichick’s comment is not that serious

Why did Bayless focus on this? It was a rather insignificant detail? But this helped him draw a conclusion. According to Bayless, having a nickname for the young quarterback means that their connection has reached deeper levels. New England will start the season without Brady as a starter for the first time in two decades. Belichick’s attitude indicates that he has great expectations from the young quarterback.

“To me, the coach who never says anything in any sort of press conference situation, or in this circumstance a conference call, he said volumes by calling the young quarterback, that we all think he’s going to try to make his starting quarterback, by a nickname. He called him ‘Stid,’ ” Bayless said. “He used affection that he would never use for any other player, and I thought that one tiny, little, four-letter nickname spoke volumes about what he’s about to try to do. This is his ‘Tommy.’ This is the kid that he’s going to say ‘watch this’ with. ‘I found him in the fourth round. He’s going to be my new Tom Brady.’ … Now he’s going to say, ‘I’m starting over with Jarret Stidham — Stid — because I’ll show you I can win with just any ol’ quarterback, even my fourth-rounder that I picked when nobody else loved Jarrett Stidham.’”

Maybe Belichick went too far with this one. But it definitely makes a perfect sense. The Patriots wanted Stidham and his teammates are impressed with his great work. Stidham got everyone working really hard in practice, and that’s exactly what Belichick needs on the field in September. We’d really love to see Stidham get into Brady’s shoes. He has the potential.