James White Praises Jarrett Stidham's Ability to Fight 'No Matter What the Situation is'

"Our offense is pretty complex, and he was willing to learn, willing to take coaching."

We've heard plenty of praise regarding Jarrett Stidham from numerous New England Patriots players over the past several weeks. James White can now be added to the group that has been complimenting the former fourth-round draft pick. 

During a video conference on Thursday White was asked what his impressions were of Stidham last season. The running back's comments were right in line with everything we've heard about the Auburn product up until now. 

"He came in and competed right away," White said, via ESPN's Mike Reiss. "Our offense is pretty complex, and he was willing to learn, willing to take coaching. He was fighting no matter what the situation is."

White is now the second Patriots captain to shine a positive light on Stidham. Earlier this week Matthew Slater - another captain for New England - mentioned how the qualities Stidham brings to the table make him believe that the second-year QB will be a good player. 

"He's just a great kid to be around. He brings a lot of positive energy, he's always got a smile on his face, and you can tell he's very appreciative of the opportunity that he had last year and the opportunity that he'll have going forward," Slater said during a conference call on Monday. "So, certainly he has a lot of great qualities that can make him a good player at the quarterback position."

Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore also chimed in on the Stidham debate earlier this week, mentioning how playing against Stidham in practice last season made him better in practice, and ultimately, in games. 

While hearing these comments from some of the Patriots' key veterans builds confidence within those who are unsure about Stidham, one can see how far Stidham has come in just one year without being around him every day. 

After being selected 133rd overall in the 2019 draft, Stidham threw for 731 yards, four touchdowns, one interception, and completed 67% of his passes during the preseason. He beat out veteran Brian Hoyer - who has five years of experience in the Patriots' system - for the backup role behind Tom Brady. Once Brady signed with the Buccaneers, instead of signing or trading for another starting-calibur QB, the team opted to sign Hoyer at a minimal cost, which has all signs pointing towards Stidham becoming New England's starter for the 2020 season. 

While Stidham has yet to earn meaningful snaps in an NFL game as a starter, one thing we know for certain is that if he does become the starter for New England in 2020 there will be no shortage of support and confidence from his teammates that he will get the job done. But when it's his time to shine, it's up to Stidham to keep their support and confidence.