Broncos Defense Backs Jarrett Stidham: “If He Can Do It to Us, He Can Do It to Anybody”
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - For the better part of two seasons, Jarrett Stidham has been the Broncos’ best-kept secret. While the rest of the league has only caught glimpses of the quarterback in live action, Denver’s defense has seen the full picture - and they’re not shy about what they’ve witnessed.
Stidham hasn’t started a regular-season game since the tail end of the 2023 season, when the Broncos were limping through their seventh straight losing campaign. But that version of Stidham - still new to Sean Payton’s offense and getting his feet under him - isn’t the one the Broncos see today. This is a quarterback with three years of experience in the system, and teammates say that growth is showing up in a big way behind the scenes.
Head coach Sean Payton didn’t hold back when describing just how disruptive Stidham can be - even when he’s not the starter.
“One of Stiddy’s great strengths is his mental aptitude and his progressions and understanding plays,” Payton said. “There’d be practices where I’m looking at Vance [Joseph] getting pissed off because Stiddy’s making our defense look bad.”
That’s not just coach-speak. That’s a defensive coordinator - and a proud defense - getting carved up by a guy who hasn’t even taken the field as QB1.
Edge rusher Nik Bonitto has been on the receiving end of those practice sessions, and he’s seen enough to believe Stidham can do more than just hold his own.
“He’s had a lot of success against us at times,” Bonitto said. “If he can do it against us, he can do it against anybody, for sure.”
That confidence isn’t just built on arm talent - though Stidham has that, too. What really sets him apart, according to his teammates, is what’s going on upstairs. He’s not just running plays - he’s dissecting them, understanding the ‘why’ behind every call, and executing like a second coach on the field.
“He knows what he’s doing,” said defensive end John Franklin-Myers. “He understands why the coaches are calling certain calls. And that’s what makes him so good.”
Franklin-Myers didn’t stop there. He pointed out that Stidham, even when running scout-team reps, often executes the opposing team’s plays better than the quarterbacks who actually run them on Sundays.
“Sometimes you get out there and you play football, you run what’s called, you’re not understanding where you want the ball to go, how fast, when and everything,” Franklin-Myers said. “And Stiddy, man, he’s running scout-team plays and he’s running the [plays] better than their starting quarterback.”
That’s not just praise - that’s a defense tipping its cap to a guy who’s made life difficult for them in practice, week after week.
Zach Allen echoed those thoughts, adding another layer to the conversation. “He’s really, really smart,” Allen said.
“He studies it and he’s like a second quarterback coach out there. And then on top of it, too, he can make every single throw.”
It’s not just about knowing the playbook. It’s about commanding it - and delivering the ball with the kind of precision that makes defenders shake their heads.
And it’s not all X’s and O’s with Stidham, either. He brings a swagger to practice that’s hard to ignore. Bonitto laughed as he recalled Stidham throwing no-look passes and talking trash to the defense - not just playing the part, but owning it.
“He got the most confidence in himself,” Bonitto said. “I mean, he’ll be out there throwing no-look passes, talking crap to the defense and stuff like that.”
That kind of energy is contagious. It’s the sort of thing that doesn’t just inspire belief - it demands it.
Now, as the Broncos prepare for Sunday’s matchup, they’re hoping the rest of the league gets to see what they’ve been dealing with behind closed doors. Because for all the talk about potential and preparation, there’s nothing like proving it on the field.
And if Stidham’s practice habits are any indication, he’s ready to do just that.