With Bo Nix sidelined for the rest of the season due to ankle surgery, the Denver Broncos are turning the keys over to Jarrett Stidham - and head coach Sean Payton isn’t blinking.
“Just watch,” Payton told reporters when asked what to expect from his backup quarterback. It wasn’t a throwaway line.
It was a challenge. A statement of belief.
And if you listen closely, it’s clear this confidence in Stidham didn’t come out of nowhere.
Payton’s faith in the 27-year-old QB goes back several years, all the way to his time in New Orleans. “It started with our evaluation in New Orleans of him,” Payton said.
“He was a target for us in the draft.” That draft, of course, was 2019 - the year Stidham came out of Auburn and landed with the New England Patriots.
The Saints didn’t get him, but the impression stuck.
Payton’s familiarity with Stidham runs deeper than a few scouting reports. He’s been following the quarterback’s path closely - from how he was coached in New England, to his time under Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas.
“I know exactly how he was coached in New England,” Payton added. That’s not just coach-speak.
That’s a coach who’s done his homework and stayed plugged in.
But the most important part of this story isn’t what Payton saw on tape five years ago - it’s what he’s seen every day at practice in Denver. “Ultimately, to answer your question, it’s our three years here,” Payton said.
“Watching him day-in and day-out that you guys don’t have access to. He will be ready to go and ready for the moment.”
That’s a strong endorsement from a coach who doesn’t hand out compliments lightly.
Stidham’s journey hasn’t been linear. After New England moved on, he bounced to Las Vegas, where McDaniels - another former Patriots mind - brought him in.
Around the league, his name has quietly carried weight. Even Tennessee’s Mike Vrabel admitted last offseason that he “did a lot of work” on Stidham in free agency, calling him “coveted around the league.”
That interest didn’t lead to a reunion with the Patriots or a new chapter in Tennessee. Instead, Stidham re-signed with the Broncos last spring, betting on continuity - and perhaps, on an opportunity just like this.
Now, with a shot at the Super Bowl on the line, that opportunity has arrived.
This will be Stidham’s first start for Denver since 2023. The stakes couldn’t be higher, but if you ask Sean Payton, the quarterback is more than ready. And he’s been preparing for this moment longer than most people realize.