Jarrett Stidham Steps Into the Spotlight as Broncos Prepare for AFC Title Clash
When the Denver Broncos take the field for the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, all eyes will be on Jarrett Stidham - a quarterback whose last pass in an NFL game ended in the wrong hands. That was back on January 7, 2024, in a 27-14 loss to the Raiders. Now, two weeks later, he’s not just back under center - he’s one win away from leading the Broncos to Super Bowl LX.
But if you ask him, this isn’t about redemption or personal storylines.
“This is not about myself,” Stidham said as he opened his press conference on Wednesday. And while that’s the kind of thing quarterbacks often say, in this case, it rang with genuine conviction.
The reason Stidham is in this position is as brutal as football gets. Bo Nix - Denver’s starter for every game since being drafted 12th overall in 2024 - suffered a season-ending ankle injury during last weekend’s thrilling 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills.
Nix never came out of the game, but postgame X-rays revealed a broken bone in his right ankle. Just like that, the rookie’s season - and his chance to lead this playoff run - was over.
For Stidham, the moment is bittersweet.
“Obviously, my thoughts and prayers have been with Bo since Saturday night,” he said. “It’s crushing.
He’s one of my best friends. Sam [Ehlinger] and I were talking about this - we probably spend more time with him than his wife does right now.
That’s just the nature of the business. I see Bo more than I see my kids.
You spend so much time with someone, you see how hard they work, how good of a teammate they are, and then that happens… it crushes you.”
Stidham didn’t mince words about what Nix has meant to this team. “We wouldn’t be in this position without Bo,” he said. “I know all of us on offense - and the whole team - we want to go out there and make him proud this Sunday.”
That’s a tall task, but Stidham’s not exactly walking in cold. He’s been here before - not at this stage, but in this role.
A fourth-round pick by the Patriots back in 2019, Stidham has seen action in 20 NFL games, with four starts under his belt - two with the Raiders in 2022 and two more with the Broncos in 2023. He’s thrown for 1,422 yards, with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Not eye-popping numbers, but enough to show he can manage a game and make plays when called upon.
Denver brought him in after the 2022 season and clearly liked what they saw, signing him to a two-year extension following the 2024 campaign. And while he hasn’t been the starter, Stidham has approached every week like he might be.
“I’ve prepared the same every single week - like I am the starter,” he said. “It just hasn’t been that way, minus two weeks. So my preparation hasn’t changed one bit.”
Broncos head coach Sean Payton echoed that confidence, telling reporters that Stidham “is going to rip it.” That’s not just coach-speak - it’s a vote of belief from one of the league’s most respected offensive minds.
And Stidham? He’s not letting the stakes shake him.
“What I always go back to in any game - regular season, preseason, AFC Championship - it’s still the same game,” he said. “Obviously, there are implications - winner advances and all that - but at the end of the day, it’s still football. That’s how I view it.”
His mindset is simple: stick to what he knows, don’t try to be anyone else, and trust the guys around him.
“I’m just going to go out there and play and be myself,” he said. “I know how I can play.
I know the kind of guys I’ve got around me and the kind of team we have. We all just have to play within ourselves.”
That team includes a defense that’s come alive in the second half of the season, a run game that’s found its rhythm, and a coaching staff that knows how to scheme to its players’ strengths. It’s not all on Stidham’s shoulders - but he’ll have to do his part.
And make no mistake, he’s embracing the moment.
“We’re playing in the AFC Championship,” he said. “We’re one of the last four teams playing.
What’s not fun about this? We’re going to go out there and give it the best we got and, hopefully, come out victorious.”
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. CST on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.
The winner of Broncos vs. Patriots will punch their ticket to Super Bowl LX, where they’ll face either the Rams or Seahawks, who battle later that evening in Seattle.
For now, though, the Broncos are locked in - and their quarterback is ready.
“We’re looking forward to Sunday,” Stidham said, “and getting out there and seeing what we got.”