Jarrett Stidham Steps Into the Spotlight as Broncos Prepare for AFC Title Clash
The Broncos are one win away from the Super Bowl, but they’ll be chasing that dream with a new quarterback under center. With Bo Nix sidelined by a season-ending ankle injury, it’s Jarrett Stidham who’ll lead Denver into Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.
And while the stage is massive - a shot at Super Bowl LX on the line - Stidham isn’t making it about himself.
“This is not about myself,” the veteran QB said as he opened his press conference Wednesday, setting the tone for a week that’s as much about team resilience as it is individual readiness.
From Backup to Big Stage
Stidham’s last pass in an NFL game? An interception with just over a minute left in a Week 18 loss to the Raiders. Now, he’s tasked with guiding the Broncos through the biggest game the franchise has played in years.
The shift under center comes after a gut-wrenching twist of fate. Nix, the rookie who started all 36 games since being drafted 12th overall in 2024, finished last weekend’s 33-30 overtime thriller against Buffalo - but postgame X-rays revealed a broken bone in his right ankle. Just like that, Denver’s offensive leader was done for the season.
Stidham, who’s been in the league since 2019, knows how quickly things can change in this business. But that doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to someone close.
“My thoughts and prayers have been with Bo since Saturday night,” Stidham said. “It’s crushing.
He’s one of my best friends. Sam [Ehlinger] and I were talking about it - we probably spend more time with Bo than his wife does right now.
That’s just the nature of this business. You go through camp, meetings, film sessions - you’re with each other constantly.
You see how hard someone works, how great of a teammate they are, and then something like this happens. It hurts.”
There’s no question that Nix was instrumental in Denver’s playoff push. And Stidham made it clear: this team wants to make him proud.
“We wouldn’t be in this position without Bo,” he said. “We all want to go out there and make him proud this Sunday.”
A Veteran Presence in a Pressure Cooker
Stidham’s NFL journey has been anything but linear. A fourth-round pick by New England in 2019, he’s played in 20 regular-season games, completing 117 of 197 passes for 1,422 yards, with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s started just four games - two with the Raiders in 2022, two with the Broncos in 2023.
But his preparation? That’s been consistent.
“I’ve prepared the same every single week - like I am the starter,” Stidham said. “Just hasn’t been that way, minus two weeks. So my preparation hasn’t changed one bit.”
That mindset is exactly what head coach Sean Payton is counting on. Asked about his confidence in the backup QB heading into the AFC title game, Payton didn’t hesitate: Stidham, he said, “is going to rip it.”
For Stidham, the moment is big - but the game remains the same.
“Whether it’s preseason, regular season, or the AFC Championship, it’s still football,” he said. “Yes, the stakes are higher - winner advances - but at the end of the day, it’s the same game.
I’m not treating it any differently. I’m not trying to be someone I’m not.
I know how I can play, I know the guys I’ve got around me, and I believe in this team.”
A Team Ready to Rally
The Broncos aren’t just playing for a title - they’re playing for each other. And while the quarterback change is significant, the identity of this team goes deeper than one position.
There’s belief in the locker room, and there’s a sense that Sunday is more than just a game. It’s a test of everything they’ve built this season.
“We’re playing in the AFC Championship,” Stidham said, smiling. “We’re one of the last four teams playing.
What’s not fun about this? We’re going to go out there, give it the best we’ve got, and hopefully come out victorious.”
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. CST on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High. CBS will carry the broadcast.
The winner moves on to face either the Rams or Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on February 8. That NFC showdown kicks off at 5:30 p.m. CST Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle, with FOX broadcasting.
As for Stidham and the Broncos?
“We’re looking forward to Sunday,” he said. “Getting out there and seeing what we got.”