The Denver Broncos dealt with the unthinkable when starting quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle in an AFC Divisional Round overtime win over the Buffalo Bills.
Now, they’re going to ask backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham to do the unthinkable — lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl despite not throwing a pass in an actual game for over 2 years.
An even crazier twist? Stidham will face the team that drafted him, the New England Patriots, in the AFC Championship Game. It’s also the team that tried to get him to come back and be the backup for NFL MVP candidate Drake Maye this season.
Instead, Stidham signed a 2-year, $12 million contract extension with the Broncos.
“Before the Broncos re-signed Jarrett Stidham this past offseason to back up Bo Nix, he had interest and an offer on the table from another team: The New England Patriots,” The Athletic’s Diana Russini wrote on X on Monday. “Sunday, he faces the team that drafted him in the AFC title game, the biggest start of his career … Stidham has acquitted himself well in four career starts, averaging over 250 yards per game and throwing six TDs. But in 7 seasons, he hasn’t had much opportunity. Those starts have come after Derek Carr and Russell Wilson were benched for the final weeks of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.”
Noise on Stidham vs. Pats Will Get Louder
Expect the storylines about Stidham facing his old team to get more pronounced as kickoff approaches.
The Patriots ultimately ended up with Joshua Dobbs and Tommy DeVito as their backups to Maye.
“The Patriots ‘did a lot of work’ on potentially signing Jarrett Stidham this past offseason, per Mike Vrabel,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on X. “The Broncos re-signed Stidham a day before free agency opened. Now Stidham will go against his former team with a chance to get to the Super Bowl this week.”
Pats Selected Stidham in Fourth Round in 2019
Stidham hasn’t played in a regular season game since he started the final 2 games of the 2023 regular season for the Broncos after Payton benched Russell Wilson.
In 7 NFL seasons with the Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and Broncos, Stidham is 1-3 in 4 starts. The Patriots selected Stidham in the fourth round (No. 133 overall) of the 2019 NFL draft out of Auburn.
Stidham’s last extended action was in the Broncos‘ 30-9 preseason opener win over the San Francisco 49ers on August 9 — 14-of-15 passing for 136 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions to go with 3 carries for 36 yards in just 2 quarters.
Stidham’s ability to scramble and run the ball had fans and media buzzing almost as much or more than his brilliant performance throwing the ball, and he walked away with a 144.0 passer rating.
“It’s good for us to just get out there and play together and put up some points,” Stidham told 9 News Denver. “(When I’m running) it’s more like just trying get down and not make a mistake.”
“I’ll be telling my kids about the Jarrett Stidham legacy 2nd quarter,” NFL reporter Bryce DeGroat wrote on his official X account. “Unreal.”
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