5 Patriots who Cam Newton will help the most

4. Jarrett Stidham

It’s easy to view Stidham as a big loser in this transaction. He does, after all, lose his opportunity to start the year as New England’s starting quarterback. On the other hand, it also prevents him from being thrown into the fire too early to succeed.

There’s a strong chance Stidham was going to be overwhelmed if he tried to start 16 games for New England in 2020. The organization clearly likes him, but there’s a reason he wasn’t a high pick in the draft. His collegiate tape at Auburn showed him to be a talented, but imperfect player.

The arrival of Newton should shift him down to a more comfortable backup role. That’s not a death blow to his career. It could give him the time he needs to really refine his technique before he’s asked to carry an offense.

There’s also a strong chance he’s going to see action this year if Newton suffers any type of injury. That’s a pretty likely outcome for a quarterback who’s missed a combined 16 regular-season games over the last two seasons.

Newton’s arrival will slow Stidham’s development down, but that could easily work out in his favor over the long haul. Not getting on the field too soon gives Stidham a better chance to be ready when his number is finally called.