Count New England Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty among the supporters of Jarrett Stidham, the man currently expected to replace Tom Brady as the team's starting quarterback.

McCourty, a team captain on the Patriots, said Sunday night on his "Double Coverage" podcast that Stidham impressed him while serving as Brady's backup last season.

"To me, the best thing for Stiddy was that he had to go against our defence every week. He didn't have it easy," McCourty said on his podcast, which is co-hosted by his twin brother and teammate Jason McCourty. "I love his poise. I would be faking a blitz sometimes and we'd make eye contact and he'd just start smiling and laughing.

"To me, there were weeks where he was just on-point. And those were some of our best weeks as a defense, mainly because Stiddy ate us up in practice leading up to the game, and I think put more pressure on us. So I really admire just how hard he works, and then I've got to know him off the field as well. He's a really good guy. Young guy, but very mature. He's married. I think the Stidhams are going to be in New England for a long time."

Stidham, a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, attempted just four passes with the Patriots last season, completing two for 14 yards and throwing interception. The 23-year-old spent two seasons as the starting quarterback at Auburn, completing 60.7 per cent of his passes for 2,794 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2018 before declaring for the draft.

The second-year quarterback is expected to face competition for the starting role from veteran Brian Hoyer, who signed a one-year contract with the team on Sunday. Stidham beat out Hoyer for the backup role behind Brady last summer.

"He has a veteran presence. He's played on multiple teams. He knows our offense very well," McCourty said of Hoyer on Sunday. "I think he'll bring experience and knowledge, and if he has to go out there and play, he's going to compete at a high level. Or if it's coaching up young quarterbacks, I think he's a guy that's going to be very necessary to have in our locker room."

Brady spent the past 20 years with the Patriots, winning six Super Bowls, but McCourty said he's excited for the challenge that lies ahead as a new era begins.

"You see a guy like Tom leave, I think it really puts things in perspective, so we'll really have to zero in and have to find ways to win as a team."