The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham will be making the very first start of his NFL career when his team faces the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. Currently, the 49ers have the number-one ranked defense in the league, thereby posing a fearsome challenge for the newly-installed starting quarterback.
Having appeared in 11 games in his NFL career to date, Stidham arrived at the Raiders in 2021 after spending the first three seasons of his career with the New England Patriots. Stidham was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
“You dream of playing in the NFL as a kid,” Stidham reflected. “
“And to start a game in the NFL, it’s a dream come true. But at the same time … I’ve tried to prepare the same every single week. Obviously, I’ve gotten to learn under a bunch of really good guys, players, coaches. So, I’ve always tried to treat the weeks the same, and it’s no different this week.”
In addition to having to cope against the 49ers’ solid defense, Stidham also has to deal with the pressure of convincing coach Josh McDaniels that he is capable of retaining the starting quarterback slot over the long term.
