Jarrett Stidham Has Been Cooking in Practice - Now the Broncos Hope the Rest of the League Sees It Too
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - If there’s a group that knows exactly what Jarrett Stidham brings to the table, it’s the Broncos’ defense. After all, they’ve been lining up against him for the better part of two years. And while the rest of the league might still see him as a backup with limited starting experience, Denver’s defenders are seeing a quarterback who’s quietly sharpened his game behind the scenes - and who might just be ready for his moment.
This isn’t the same Stidham who stepped in for a pair of late-season starts back in 2023 when the Broncos were closing out yet another losing campaign. That version of Stidham was still learning the offense.
The current version? He’s got three years in this system under his belt, and according to head coach Sean Payton, he’s been giving Denver’s defense fits in practice.
“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 coachspeak. It’s a reflection of what Denver’s defenders have been experiencing firsthand. Edge rusher Nik Bonitto has seen it up close - and he’s not surprised.
“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.”
And it’s not just about the throws, though Stidham can make all of them. It’s the attitude, the command, the confidence that’s hard to ignore. Bonitto described a quarterback who plays with swagger - tossing no-look passes in practice, chirping at defenders, and carrying himself like a guy who knows he belongs.
“He got the most confidence in himself,” Bonitto said. “He’ll be out there throwing no-look passes, talking crap to the defense and stuff like that.”
But what really separates Stidham, at least in the eyes of his teammates, is how he sees the game. Defensive end John Franklin-Myers pointed to Stidham’s football IQ - his ability to understand not just the play that’s called, but why it’s being called and how to execute it with intent.
“He knows what he’s doing,” Franklin-Myers said. “He understands why the coaches are calling certain calls. And that’s what makes him so good.”
That awareness translates into action. Whether it’s running the scout team or stepping in for first-team reps, Stidham doesn’t just go through the motions - he elevates them. Franklin-Myers even noted that Stidham sometimes executes the opposition’s plays better than their own starters.
And then there’s Zach Allen, who sees a quarterback with the mind of a coach and the arm of a starter.
“He’s really, really smart. He studies it and he’s like a second quarterback coach out there,” Allen said.
“And then on top of it, too, he can make every single throw. I think you see in the games he’s played for us and back with the Raiders, he’s made some really incredible throws.”
So while the Patriots prepare for a quarterback they haven’t seen much of in live action, the Broncos know exactly what they’re getting. They’ve seen the sharp reads, the tight-window throws, the leadership, and the confidence. And now, they’re hoping the rest of the league gets a glimpse of the version of Stidham they’ve been dealing with on the practice field.
Sunday could be his chance to turn those behind-the-scenes reps into something much bigger.