New England Patriots 2019: 5 surprise veterans on the 53-man roster bubble
Brian Hoyer, QB
New England Patriots veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer has some competition for the backup spot during training camp and preseason.
Although both competitors are young and not as experienced as Hoyer, they are much younger than the 33-year-old quarterback and present more upside.
Fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham will make the team due to his mid-round draft status, which means second-year quarterback Danny Etling and Hoyer will compete for backing up Tom Brady at least while Stidham learns the system.
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Although Brian Hoyer threw all but 7 yards during the regular season in 2018, he has been a starter in the NFL and knows the New England Patriots system. If anything happens to Brady, he is the quarterback primed to come in and at least give the team an experienced option.
But that alone does not rule out either Etling or Stidham being the number called based on their readiness.
While that’s a scary thought, the Patriots once had a second-year quarterback out of Michigan step in back in 2000 and turned out to be the greatest quarterback to ever wear the uniform.
That’s a lot to ask of Danny Etling or Jarrett Stidham, but if either quarterback or both outperformed Brian Hoyer, the younger options will be the choice while the team takes its chances with a quarterback in Tom Brady who has been Mr. Durability over his 19-year career.