Ever-optimistic Stidham on pace to earn Raiders’ backup quarterback job

By Case Keefer (contact)

Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022 | 2 a.m.

Jarrett Stidham was going through his usual offseason workout routine on a mid-May morning earlier this year in Foxborough, Mass., at the New England Patriots’ facility when everything changed.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick summoned Stidham to his office and delivered some life-changing news: The fourth-year quarterback out of Auburn had been traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.

“He just said, ‘Hey, we’re going to trade you to Vegas to Josh (McDaniels) and them. I really appreciate everything you’ve done here,’” Stidham recalled earlier this week.

Even though the Patriots had recently drafted a fourth quarterback for their roster, a fourth-rounder like Stidham in Bailey Zappe out of Western Kentucky, the former didn’t realize he was on the trade block. Out-of-the-blue trades are just part of playing in the NFL, but they can be emotionally challenging to players or at the very least bittersweet.

Just not for Stidham, who was uncommonly cheery about the whole process. He described receiving the news as “great,” both because he got to have one last conversation with Belichick and learned he was rejoining people he knew like McDaniels, general manager Dave Ziegler and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi in Las Vegas.

That’s just the typical outlook of the 26-year-old Stidham. He’s unflappable. The Stephenville, Texas native has gone through his share of ups and downs in his professional, if not collegiate, football career but has stayed endlessly positive through it all.

It’s a mentality coaches appreciate especially out of their quarterbacks and might be one reason why Stidham is leading the training-camp competition to serve as quarterback Derek Carr’s backup this season. He’s expected to start his second straight preseason game this afternoon when the Raiders host the Vikings with a 1:25 p.m. kickoff at Allegiant Stadium.

“It’s been really fun to get to know him,” Carr said of Stidham. “He’s a really nice person.”

Carr is adapting to some change too as he had worked in the same quarterback room alongside backups Marcus Mariota and Nathan Peterman in each of the last two years. It’s different with Stidham and Nick Mullens — along with undrafted rookie free agent Chase Garbers — this season but Carr says they’ve all hit it off quickly.

He especially likes to joke around with Stidham about his “five-star, dual threat” recruiting profile coming out of high school. Carr himself was rated a step down going into his time at Fresno State University, as a four-star pocket passer.

Stidham immediately lived up to that profile when an injury forced him into action in 2015 during his freshman year at Baylor University and he threw for 11.6 yards per pass attempt and 12 touchdowns to two interceptions in three starts. A sexual assault scandal rocked the Bears’ football program in the offseason, however, and instead of sticking around the school an hour-and-a-half away from his hometown, Stidham transferred to Auburn.

It wasn’t ideal that he had to sit out a year under the NCAA’s former transfer policy, but he made the most of the situation by practicing and preparing the same way as if he was eligible to play. That put him in position to excel in both his sophomore and junior seasons with the Tigers before declaring for the NFL Draft.

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” Stidham said. “I was very fortunate to grow up in a place like Stephenville where it’s blue collar, you just work really hard and then win a lot of games. And then going into college at Baylor, Auburn was a lot of fun. Playing the last three years in New England and now here, it’s been a blessing.”

In some ways, it’s a surprise Stidham concluded his time in New England with a sparse total stat line of 256 passing yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions on 22-for-44 passing. On a few different occasions, it appeared he’d get a lot more opportunities in New England. Buzz built on Stidham going into his rookie season as a potential successor to longtime Patriots quarterback Tom Brady when he beat out veteran Brian Hoyer for the backup job.

When Brady left in free agency to go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the next year, Stidham was the presumed starter for months until the Patriots signed former MVP Cam Newton. It was another move that outwardly looked disappointing for Stidham but one he called “great” at the time as he got compete for playing time with and learn from Newton.

Newton ultimately beat him out, and Stidham slipped further down the depth chart when the Patriots drafted Mac Jones in the first round of last year’s draft. Stidham was also recovering from offseason back surgery and unable to play going into last season, giving him every reason to be down on his football prospects but he again refused to give in.

“I was on the (physically unable to perform) list for the first half of the season or whatever it was last year, and same thing, I just prepared like I was the starter,” he said. “I wasn't practicing, wasn't obviously playing or anything, but I just still kind of kept my same routine.”

All the various challenges added up to mean the Hall of Fame Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 2 was Stidham’s first in-game action since December 28, 2020. McDaniels didn’t ease him into it, calling for a deep ball on the first play.

Stidham uncorked the pass and completed it to wide receiver Keelan Cole but ended up getting clobbered by a late hit from this year’s top overall draft pick, edge rusher Travon Walker.

“Watching him play again, knowing what he went through the last 400-500 days of his career, I've been through injuries and all that kind of stuff; it's not fun,” Carr said. “To sort of see him get out there and get to play again, and first play in there, he gets smoked, we laughed about that.”

Stidham’s smile lasted longer than the laughter. It was one of the biggest plays of his professional career considering it gained 46 yards for the Raiders’ offense with a 15-yard personal foul tacked on to the end of the reception.

“It ended up going in (Cole’s) hands and I was not necessarily throwing to him,” Stidham said, “but I think the football gods kind of took the ball and placed it in his hands on that play.”

The football gods continued being kind to Stidham in the second quarter when the Jaguars left an entire half of the field unattended to allow him the easiest 9-yard touchdown run imaginable. Carr celebrated with Stidham by yelling, “five-star dual threat,” as he jogged off the field.

“It was great,” Stidham said. “Basically all 21 guys were running to my left and I just ran right.”

From a passing perspective, Stidham finished 8-for-15 for 96 yards in the 27-11 Raiders' win over the Jaguars. The line wasn’t all that different from the one posted by his top competition in Mullens, who completed eight of 11 passes for 72 yards.

Stidham has separated himself in practice, though, by making more big plays than Mullens. On the flip side, he’s also been more mistake-prone, specifically with interceptions.

But the turnovers don’t seem to affect him for long, as he shakes them off and focuses on the next play. Nothing ever gets Stidham down.

“I’m happy to finally be healthy and just be back out there on the field and just playing football,” Stidham said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or