The New England Patriots are holding an open competition for their starting quarterback job between former NFL MVP Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham.
In fact, there’s a chance that the two will split reps once the season starts in less than a month.
There’s also some concerning news on this front pertaining to Stidham, a second-year quarterback from Auburn.
Jarrett Stidham taken to hospital with hip injury
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Friday morning that the former mid-round pick was taken to the hospital with an upper leg injury Thursday out of an abundance of caution. Tests on the leg came back negative. Although, Stidham is not expected to be 100% for a few weeks.
NFL’s Media’s Ian Rapoport followed up with a report that Stidham is dealing with a hip injury.
There’s certainly a lot to look at here. First off, the focus has to be on Stidham’s health. It seems to be a scary situation for the talented young signal caller.
Secondly, this could have wide-ranging ramifications for the Patriots heading into their season opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13.
After suffering a Lisfranc injury as a member of the Carolina Panthers early last season, Newton appears to be 100% and ready to go.
If Stidham is indeed still bothered by the injury come Week 1, there’s a darn good chance Newton will be New England’s first post-Tom Brady starter under center.
After dominating the AFC East for the past two decades, the Patriots are going to be in for a dog fight this coming season.
The Buffalo Bills are coming off a surprise playoff appearance and improved a great deal during the spring. It’s also expected that the above-mentioned Dolphins will be even better under former Patriots assistant Brian Flores after the young team was surprisingly competitive last season.