Jarrett Stidham's NFL journey has been anything but straightforward. Twice, he’s been on the doorstep of a starting job-only to see the door close just before he could walk through it.
First, there was New England. After Tom Brady's departure, Bill Belichick publicly backed Stidham as the Patriots' next man up.
But then came Cam Newton. Fast forward to Denver, and Stidham again found himself in the mix, this time battling rookie Bo Nix for the Broncos’ starting role.
Once again, the opportunity slipped away-Nix won the job out of camp.
Now, after years of waiting in the wings, Stidham finally gets his shot. And it comes not through a quarterback competition, but through unfortunate circumstances.
When Bo Nix went down with a broken ankle during the Broncos' divisional round win over the Bills, it was Stidham's number that got called. It’s a moment he’s been preparing for his entire career, even if it didn’t come the way he imagined.
Before he was a seasoned NFL backup, Stidham was a highly touted prospect with serious college credentials. His path to the pros started with a bang in the Big 12.
Stidham’s College Journey
Jarrett Stidham came out of high school as a five-star recruit in the class of 2015, committing to Baylor. And right away, he showed why scouts were so high on him.
In limited action as a true freshman, he posted 12 touchdowns to just two interceptions, completing nearly 69% of his passes. The talent was obvious.
But after Baylor head coach Art Briles resigned amid a high-profile scandal, Stidham made the decision to transfer. He sat out the 2016 season before resurfacing at Auburn, where he took over as the Tigers’ starter in 2017 under Gus Malzahn.
That first season at Auburn was arguably the peak of Stidham’s college career. He led the Tigers to a 10-win season and an SEC Championship Game appearance, highlighted by a defining win over then-No.
1 Alabama. That 26-14 upset not only knocked the Crimson Tide out of the SEC title game-it also put Stidham firmly on the NFL radar.
His 2018 season wasn’t quite as efficient, but he still helped Auburn to eight wins and finished his two-year run on the Plains with an 18-9 record. Stidham declared for the NFL Draft after the season, wrapping up a college career that had seen both promise and polish.
College Stats Snapshot
Across his time at Baylor and Auburn, Stidham completed 64.3% of his passes for 7,217 yards, 48 touchdowns, and just 13 interceptions. He added nine rushing scores to his résumé as well.
Here’s a quick breakdown of his college numbers:
| Season | School | Comp. Rate | Yards | TD | INT | Rush Yards | Rush TD |
|--------|--------|-------------|-------|----|-----|-------------|----------| | 2015 | Baylor | 68.8% | 1,265 | 12 | 2 | 70 | 2 |
| 2017 | Auburn | 66.5% | 3,158 | 18 | 6 | 153 | 4 | | 2018 | Auburn | 60.7% | 2,794 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
Those numbers tell the story of a quarterback who showed early promise, delivered big in key moments, and kept mistakes to a minimum-especially in his final season, where he threw just five interceptions.
Draft Day and the NFL Climb
Despite early projections that once had him as a possible first-rounder, Stidham’s draft stock dipped after a less dynamic 2018 season. He ended up being selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, going 133rd overall as the seventh quarterback taken behind names like Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, and Dwayne Haskins.
His rookie season was spent learning behind Tom Brady. And when Brady left, it looked like Stidham might finally get his shot.
Belichick publicly backed the quarterback room, and for a while, it seemed like Stidham could be the guy. But then Newton arrived, and the depth chart shifted again.
Stidham didn’t see the field in 2021 and was eventually traded to the Raiders in 2022. There, he got his first real taste of starting action when Derek Carr was benched late in the season. He started the final two games for Las Vegas, showing flashes of capability.
In 2023, a similar script played out in Denver. When the Broncos benched Russell Wilson late in the year, Stidham stepped in for two starts. Again, solid but unspectacular-but enough to keep him in the conversation.
Now, in 2026, that conversation gets real. With Bo Nix sidelined, Stidham steps into the spotlight once more-this time not as the next man up in theory, but in practice.
It’s been a long road, filled with starts and stops, but the opportunity is finally here. And for Jarrett Stidham, it’s time to show what he’s learned after years of waiting in the wings.