Patriots quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer will compete in training camp for the right to replace Tom Brady as the starting quarterback in New England. But the competition is more friendly than fierce.
In fact, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports that Stidham and Hoyer are working out together, and even snapping the ball to each other: At some of the workouts Stidham has taken the lead in organizing, there hasn’t been a center in attendance. So when that’s the case, Stidham will snap the ball to Hoyer on the plays when Hoyer is throwing, and Hoyer will snap the ball to Stidham on the plays when Stidham is throwing.
One of the reasons Hoyer has become a favorite of Patriots coach Bill Belichick is that he has a reputation for being a good teammate with a strong work ethic. Hoyer’s presence should help Stidham’s development.
But while Stidham is viewed as the favorite to win the job, Hoyer is also there to compete with him. Hoyer and Stidham will try to beat each other out, but also help each other out along the way.