Jarrett Stidham’s Unexpected Moment: From Backup to AFC Championship Starter Against the Team That Drafted Him
There are postseason surprises, and then there’s this - Jarrett Stidham, a career backup, stepping into the AFC Championship Game as the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback. Not only is it his first NFL start in two years, but it’s coming against the New England Patriots - the very team that drafted him back in 2019.
The twist? He’s the first quarterback since Roger Staubach in 1972 to make his first start for a team in the Conference Championship or later. That’s not just rare - it’s historic.
The Broncos didn’t plan for this, of course. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix had been leading the charge until he fractured his ankle in overtime of Denver’s thrilling win over the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. That injury forced head coach Sean Payton to turn to the 29-year-old Stidham, who’s now being asked to lead Denver one win away from the Super Bowl.
And the opponent? A Patriots team fresh off a 28-16 win over the Texans, now preparing to face a quarterback they once envisioned as the heir to Tom Brady.
Let’s rewind the tape and take a closer look at Stidham’s winding road to this moment.
The “Next Brady”? Not Quite - But the Hype Was Real
Back in April 2019, the Patriots used a fourth-round pick on a strong-armed quarterback out of Auburn. With Tom Brady nearing 42 and only Brian Hoyer in the QB room, the buzz around Stidham started building fast.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah called him one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in that draft class, even saying he might’ve been a top-five pick “in shorts.” And after a sharp preseason showing - 42-of-62 passing for 506 yards, two touchdowns, and no picks - people around the league were taking notice.
Jim Nagy, then the Senior Bowl director, dubbed him the "heir apparent" to Brady. And with Brady’s departure to Tampa Bay in March 2020, it looked like the stars might finally align for Stidham to get his shot.
Patriots fans were intrigued. The idea of seeing what the young QB could do as the full-time starter wasn’t just a possibility - it was a real conversation.
Cam Newton Changes the Equation
But Bill Belichick had other plans.
Just before training camp in 2020, the Patriots signed Cam Newton to a one-year deal. Suddenly, Stidham wasn’t the presumed starter - he was in a competition with a former MVP.
That battle didn’t last long.
Stidham struggled in camp, reportedly dealing with leg soreness that limited his reps. Newton won the job, and Stidham was relegated to backup duty.
When he did see the field, it wasn’t pretty. He completed just 50% of his passes that season (22-of-44), throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions in limited action.
By October, after a rough outing against the Chiefs that included two interceptions, it was clear the Stidham experiment was losing steam in New England.
A New Start in Las Vegas
After undergoing back surgery and missing the entire 2021 season, Stidham was traded in May 2022 to the Las Vegas Raiders. The move reunited him with Josh McDaniels, his former offensive coordinator in New England.
Late in the 2022 season, Stidham finally got his first NFL start - and made it count. In a Week 17 matchup against the 49ers, he threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns, showing flashes of the talent that once made him a draft-day sleeper. He also tossed two interceptions in that game, but the performance was enough to turn some heads.
His second start didn’t go quite as well, and after the season, he hit free agency once again.
The Broncos Take a Chance
Denver saw enough in Stidham to offer him a two-year, $10 million deal in the 2023 offseason. He spent most of the season backing up Russell Wilson, but when the Broncos made the decision to sit Wilson late in the year, Stidham got the nod in Weeks 17 and 18.
His numbers? Solid, if not spectacular: 40-of-66 passing for 496 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception over those two games. That Week 18 start - ironically against the Raiders - was the last time he threw a pass in an NFL game.
Until now.
The Moment Arrives
Now, with the Broncos one win away from the Super Bowl, Stidham finds himself thrust into the spotlight in a way few could’ve predicted. He’ll take the field Sunday against a Patriots team that once saw him as the future - and ultimately moved on before his rookie deal was up.
It’s a full-circle moment. It’s a pressure-packed one. And it’s the biggest opportunity of Jarrett Stidham’s football life.
Whether he delivers a playoff miracle or not, one thing’s for sure: the next chapter in his unpredictable NFL journey is about to be written on one of the league’s biggest stages.