Stidham, Cowart Return from Reserve/PUP - Will They Be Activated to the Patriots Roster?
Week Seven of the 2021 NFL Season is upon us. As a result, those who began the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP), or Non-Football-Injury (NFI) lists, may begin to practice with their current clubs. On Wednesday, the New England Patriots saw the return of two such players: quarterback Jarrett Stidham and defensive tackle Byron Cowart
With their presence on the practice field, the 21-day window for their respective roster activations has started. If they are not activated to the roster within that time frame, they would remain on PUP for the remainder of 2021, thus finishing their season.
Ironically, both Stidham and Cowart began their Patriots careers as selections in the 2019 NFL Draft. Stidham was taken in the fourth round (no. 133 overall) and Cowart was selected in the fifth round (no. 159). While neither is expected to challenge any incumbent starters on the Patriots roster, each is capable of a notable impact on their respective positions. The question remains: Will they get that chance?
Let’s take a look.
Jarrett Stidham
In his two-years with the Patriots, the Auburn product has seen little more than reserve time at the position. Stidham has completed 24 of 48 passes for 270 yards, with two touchdowns and four interceptions. The bulk of his reps came last season, in which he ended up appearing in five games and playing a total of 85 snaps. Following Tom Brady’s departure to Tampa Bay in March 2020, Stidham was widely considered to be the favorite for the starting role. That is, however, until Cam Newton came to town. While he was expected to compete for the starting job (even with Newton in the fold) Stidham was unable to capitalize on the chances he was given. He finished his second year in the league with just 22 completions on 44 attempts, with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Stidham also was sacked four times and gained 7 yards on 7 rushing attempts.
The 25-year-old was on the unfortunate side of luck (as it relates to health) to start 2021. Stidham missed all of training camp and preseason after undergoing back surgery in July. At the time, it was reported that his injury was not considered to be season-ending. His return to practice on Wednesday confirmed that prognosis.
With Mac Jones firmly entrenched as the starter, Stidham’s ceiling for 2021 is projected to be the team’s number two option. While it is possible that Stidham could be made available via trade, his market is not expected to be robust, given his long layoff and thin resume. Still, he is likely to be an upgrade over current back-up Brian Hoyer. If Stidham is activated, the Pats could opt to carry three quarterbacks, or attempt to move Hoyer to the practice squad. While Hoyer’s best days are clearly behind him, his mentorship of Jones, as well as his scout team acumen, make it probable that New England will attempt to keep him around in some capacity. As a result, Stidham’s presence may indicate that current practice squad quarterback Garrett Gilbert’s time with the Patriots may be nearing an end.
Byron Cowart
Since joining the Patriots in 2019, Cowart has yet to build an extensive resume. In two seasons, he has played in 19 games, compiling 15 tackles, three quarterback hits, three tackles-for-loss and one sack. The University of Maryland product was placed on PUP prior to the start of 2021 training camp.
Patriots DT Byron Cowart
Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
At his best, Cowart has the ability to play on the inside and outside. He is strong enough to set the edge and flashes the ability to push offensive tackles back into the backfield. Perhaps his greatest strength is his length and upper-body strength to stack blockers. He has decent closing speed, initial quickness and agility. Still Cowart has often had his share of difficulty when locating the ball; leading to some delays in getting into position. With fellow linemen Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise, Carl Davis and rookie Christian Barmore likely to remain ahead of him on the positional depth chart, Cowart faces an uphill battle to gain activation. However, the team has placed both Henry Anderson and Chase Winovich on injured reserve. Theoretically, this could open the door for the 6-foot-3, 300lb lineman to earn a roster spot in the coming days. Of course, he would need to impress the Patriots coaching staff to do so. Luckily for Cowart, he possesses the talent to do just that.
