STID THE KID

Tom Brady is not expected to play, according to a source, opening the door for rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham to receive extended time.

How Stidham looks in game action is far and away the No. 1 storyline of the preseason opener.

After 11 practices, here’s what we can tell you about Stidham: He checks all boxes in terms of physical attributes. He has a strong arm. He appears to be an accurate passer, especially on intermediate-to-deep throws. And he’s athletic enough to throw on the run.

That’s a great foundation for a fourth-round pick.

“When you come into the NFL, you better be able to throw, and you’d be shocked at how many guys just can’t,” Patriots backup quarterback Brian Hoyer said. “But Jarrett throws a great ball. He showed that in college . ... No matter how smart you are, no matter how crafty you might be, when it comes down to it, you’ve got to be able to drop back and throw the football. And Jarrett has shown he can do that.”

Stidham’s best play of training camp came on the second day of practice. Stidham sensed pressure coming and unloaded the ball before the blitzing cornerback could get to him. Even though Stidham didn’t set his feet to make the throw, he placed the ball perfectly over James White’s shoulder for a touchdown on the wheel route.

At last Thursday’s practice, Stidham hit Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry for touchdowns on consecutive deep routes down the right sideline.

Stidham’s biggest issue has been his ability to process the defense. This is no surprise. It’s the greatest hurdle for any rookie quarterback. Sometimes, Stidham holds the ball for far too long as he contemplates where to go with it. Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett, Ryan Mallett and many others dealt with the same issue.

Whether Stidham becomes the next Garoppolo — a viable starter in the NFL — or the next Mallett depends largely on improved recognition skills. It will be a long road. It would be foolish to make sweeping judgments about Stidham after one preseason game, but his debut nevertheless is of extreme interest to

Pats fans.