Patriots Quarterbacks Comment On Training Camp Competition

The New England Patriots’ quarterbacks are about to start their training camp competition. This will allow Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer to square off in a full-team setting for the first time.

According to head coach Bill Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch, the job won’t simply be handed to Cam Newton. To secure Tom Brady’s old starting spot, the former NFL MVP will need to beat out Stidham and Hoyer in what will be the most fascinating Patriots roster battle in recent memory.

Here’s how the three QBs feel about the competition:

Cam Newton

This is the 31-year-old’s first real quarterback training camp competition since college.

Learning the Patriots’ notoriously complex playbook in such a short time period won’t be easy, though, and Newton will have to do so without the benefit of preseason games.

“Well, as far as (competing), you compete every year,” Newton. “Doesn’t matter how much a person’s paid, doesn’t matter how much a person is experienced, doesn’t matter how much a person knows or doesn’t know. I think we all are competing each and every day. I’ve been competing every single day.

“It didn’t matter what the team was, because at the end of the day, you’re one game away, as I’ve learned in this past year. At the end of the day, it’s just about proving your worth and doing your part.”

“It’s a challenge that I had to accept each and every day, but no challenge is ever going to be greater than the personal challenge that I challenge myself, personally,” Newton said about the opportunity to replace Brady. “Yeah, we all know what that was and what it is, and it needs no mention. But yet at the same time, I think I’ve got my hands full with trying to learn as much as I can in a short period of time, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Jarrett Stidham

Stidham looked like the odds-on favorite to start for much of the offseason. The 2019 fourth-round draft pick insisted he’s “actually really excited” to compete with Newton, though, and said he’s “absolutely” ready to start.

“I think I am definitely ready,” Stidham said. “I put in a lot of work this offseason to really improve mentality, physically, in a lot of different areas. At the end of the day, I am extremely excited to compete with Cam and Hoy as we go forward in training camp and getting to the season and things like that. I am really looking forward to the training camp competition. I love competing in whatever it is. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“I do feel a lot more confident having a year under my belt, a year in the system,” Stidham added. “Just kind of being more of a professional in general and understanding how we do things here within the organization. I have approached the offseason that way the entire time. My big thing is I want to continue to be a leader on this team and be the best teammate that I can be to the guys in the locker room.”

“I consider Tom a really good friend at this point,” Stidham said. “Obviously, I got to learn a ton from him throughout the entire year last year … There was a lot to take away from being around him every single day. I don’t really look at it as replacing Tom Brady. I just want to be myself and I want to be a leader for this team and be the best teammate that I can be for this team.”

Brian Hoyer

Hoyer is in his third stint with the Patriots. He has the longest odds of opening the season as the starter.

“For me, you’re still competing every day you go out,” Hoyer said. “Regardless of what the spot is, it’s always a competition. Bill said that numerous times — you’re going to earn what you get. For me, it doesn’t matter if there’s 15 guys in the room. I’m always competing. When Tom was here, I was always competing for the starting job, too. Now, I was probably never going to get that, but I always competed like I was going to try to beat him out. That was the only thing I could do to try and make myself better.

“I think the more good players you have in a room, a group, offense, defense, team, it’s always going to raise the level of everyone else up. It’s something I’ve taken a part of before, and it’s something I look forward to.”

Hoyer, who’s spent time with eight NFL franchises, also has some experience with QB competitions.

“I dealt with this in Cleveland,” the 34-year-old said. “I did it in Houston. I’ve done it in a lot of different places. For me, I’ve never really changed my mentality. For me, it’s to go out and get better every day. If you’re not doing that, you’re getting worse. I know that’s cliché to say. Whether this is my 12th year, fifth year, seventh year, whatever it might be, you have to come in and compete like you’re going for that job whether you’re going to get it or not.

“That’s the only way to prepare yourself in case there comes a point where you do have to play. The reality of our job is whether you’re the starting quarterback, backup, third (string), you never know. Things can change on a week-to-week basis, and you have to be ready to go. I’m always up for it, and I’m always excited to go out and play.”