Jarrett Stidham Steps Into the Spotlight as Broncos Turn to Backup QB for AFC Title Clash
When the Denver Broncos take the field against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, they’ll do so with Jarrett Stidham under center - a quarterback who’s made a career out of being the next man up, but never quite in the way you’d expect.
Stidham, now in his seventh NFL season, has started just four games in his career - none due to injury to the starter. Each time, it’s been a matter of the team deciding to move on from the guy ahead of him.
But this Sunday? It’s different.
This time, he’s stepping in because Bo Nix, the rookie sensation who’s helped lead Denver to the brink of a Super Bowl, is out with a broken bone in his right ankle.
The injury came late in Denver’s thrilling 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills. Nix, ever the gamer, stayed in long enough to help set up the game-winning field goal, even centering the ball after the injury.
But the damage was done. Head coach Sean Payton confirmed the diagnosis after reviewing the X-rays postgame: Nix’s season is over.
Now, it’s Stidham’s turn - and Payton isn’t blinking.
“He will be ready to go and ready for the moment,” Payton said Sunday.
That confidence doesn’t come from thin air. Payton’s connection to Stidham goes back years - to when Stidham was a draft target for the Saints.
And while that draft-day interest didn’t materialize into a pick, the impression stuck. Payton knows how Stidham was developed in New England, how Josh McDaniels valued him enough to bring him to Las Vegas, and how he’s looked day-in and day-out in Denver’s system.
And that last part is key. While fans haven’t seen much of Stidham this season - just four snaps - the Broncos’ staff has been watching him closely behind the scenes for three years.
They’ve seen him run the scout team, dissect defenses, and make life tough for Vance Joseph’s unit in practice. Payton points to Stidham’s football IQ and decision-making as two of his biggest strengths.
“There’d be practices where I’m looking at Vance, getting pissed off because Stiddy’s making our defense look bad,” Payton said. “He’s very accurate. He’s got a lot to his ball.”
That accuracy was on full display during the preseason, when Stidham went 30-of-38 for 376 yards, four touchdowns and no picks. But live bullets in the playoffs are a different story, and this will be his biggest test yet.
The Broncos signed Stidham in 2023 after his brief stint as a starter in Las Vegas. He was originally drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round back in 2019, and when McDaniels - then the Patriots’ offensive coordinator - took the Raiders head coaching job, he made sure to bring Stidham with him. The quarterback started the final two games of the 2022 season for Vegas and did the same for Denver in 2023, as both teams looked to move on from their respective starters - Derek Carr and Russell Wilson.
In those four starts, Stidham put up solid numbers: 85 completions on 136 attempts for 1,080 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. He added 92 yards on the ground and was sacked 13 times.
That stat line puts him in rare company - only four other players in NFL history have hit 1,080 passing yards and 90 rushing yards in their first four starts. One of them?
Fellow Auburn alum Cam Newton.
Now, he’s tasked with leading Denver to Super Bowl LX.
Of course, the game plan will shift. Nix and Stidham are different quarterbacks with different skill sets, and Payton acknowledged that the offense will need to be tailored accordingly.
“Are there certain things that Bo does differently than Stiddy? Absolutely,” Payton said. “And that’s where the work begins tonight.”
While Stidham hasn’t had many practice reps with the starters - a typical reality for NFL backups - his mental preparation has never been in question. Payton praised his ability to process plays and go through progressions, even when he’s not the one taking the snaps.
“Generally in a work week, the reps are limited, and the starter wants them,” Payton said. “But one of Stiddy’s great strengths is his mental aptitude.”
As for Nix, there’s no sugarcoating the disappointment. The rookie had been on a historic trajectory, notching his 25th career win on Sunday - a feat only matched by Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson in their first two seasons. Both of those quarterbacks capped Year 2 with a Super Bowl ring.
Nix’s injury happened on a quarterback keeper during the game-winning drive. He played through it, but the pain was real. Payton recalled the moment vividly - a chest bump, a wince, and the eventual realization that something was wrong.
“He said, ‘Yeah. But, man, it’s hurting,’” Payton remembered.
“And I said, ‘What do you got?’ He said, ‘My ankle.’”
After the game, the X-rays confirmed the fracture. Payton found Nix outside the locker room, surrounded by family and teammates, and offered words of support. It was a crushing moment for a player who had helped bring the Broncos back to relevance.
Now, the torch passes to Stidham.
The AFC Championship Game kicks off Sunday at 2 p.m. CST at Empower Field at Mile High. The Patriots - who had offseason interest in Stidham themselves, thanks in part to McDaniels’ return as offensive coordinator - will be looking to spoil Denver’s run.
Later that evening, the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks will battle for the NFC crown at Lumen Field. The winners will meet in Super Bowl LX on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
For now, all eyes are on Denver - and on Jarrett Stidham, the backup who’s suddenly front and center on the biggest stage of his career.