What It Means:

Howe acknowledges that things could change, but Brian Hoyer and Cody Kessler are the only other quarterbacks on the roster and the Patriots reportedly aren't interested in any of the remaining free agents. It's also unlikely that they select a Week 1 starter in the draft, setting Stidham up as the favorite. He was taken 133rd overall last year and attempted just 4 passes in the regular season as a rookie.

Stidham completed 61-of-91 passes (67.0 percent) for 731 yards (8.0 per attempt) with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception last preseason. He had the sixth-highest overall passing grade (72.2) and second-best adjusted completion percentage (84.1) on Pro Football Focus among the 20 quarterbacks with at least 68 preseason dropbacks.