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Jeff Legwold
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Shortly after Sean Payton’s appointment as the Denver Broncos’ head coach during the 2023 offseason, the team made three significant signings in the opening hours of free agency. In a swift and deliberate move aligning with Payton’s philosophy of building strength from within, offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey and guard Ben Powers were given substantial contracts.
yet, the third player in that initial wave was quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
The football community has been trying to familiarize itself with the 29-year-old quarterback, who is set to start for the Broncos in the upcoming AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots (3 p.m. ET, help Field at Mile High, CBS). Stidham earned the starting position after first-string quarterback Bo Nix broke his right ankle near the end of Denver’s 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round. Nix had played in all 17 regular-season games, leading the Broncos to a 14-3 record and securing the No. 1 seed in the conference, along with last week’s playoff victory.
“Stiddy’s been waiting for this moment his whole career,” McGlinchey remarked. “He’s ready and more prepared than anyone could be in this situation. He can play, no doubt about it. We see it every day in practice, in training camp.”
“I have complete confidence that he’ll give it his all out there.”
This is an almost unprecedented scenario in the Super Bowl era. The closest parallel to the Broncos’ current situation occurred in 1972 when Roger Staubach, destined for the Hall of Fame, was the last quarterback to make his season debut in a conference championship game.
yet, Staubach had started 10 games the previous season and had thrown 20 passes in four appearances during the 1972 regular season. but, Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular-season game outside of the preseason since he stepped in for Russell Wilson in the final two games of the 2023 season, making it 749 days since he last took the field. According to ESPN Research, he will join Joe Webb (2012) as the only quarterbacks since 1950 to start a playoff game with zero passing yards that season.
Stidham is largely in unknown territory. Yet, his teammates believe he is ideal for this rare opportunity.
“We completely trust Stiddy. He’s the first one in the building each day,” said Broncos defensive tackle Zach Allen. “He acts like a second quarterback coach out there.”
“I’m excited to see what Stiddy can do,” added Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II. “… He’s got what it takes to excel at this level … he is cool, calm, and collected, and he talks some trash. That confidence definitely inspires the whole team.”
Still, Stidham has minimal game experience under his belt. Since being drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, he has only participated in 20 games and recorded six or fewer snaps in 10 of those. This season, his game-day experience consists of four snaps—none of which involved passing—during the Broncos’ 44-24 win over the Cowboys on October 28.
Nevertheless, his Broncos teammates believe in Stidham’s readiness.
“[Stidham] is always prepared to compete against us in practice,” Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto said. “He possesses a personality that shows when he’s on a roll and when he’s not.”
Nix has consistently praised Stidham for his role in his development from a first-round draft pick in 2024 to an immediate starter and a quarterback for consecutive playoff teams. Stidham, who learned from Tom Brady in his first season with the Patriots, then spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 before joining the Broncos, has successfully balanced being a player who believes he can start while providing quality support as a backup and teammate.
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Kyle Van Noy to McAfee: Jarrett Stidham’s going to give his playmakers chances
Kyle Van Noy joins Pat McAfee and analyzes what to expect from Jarrett Stidham against the Patriots.
Stidham and Nix share a close bond, as do their wives. Stidham quickly recognized that Nix’s limp after Saturday’s victory indicated something serious. He was also one of the players who comforted Nix, his wife Izzy, and Nix’s parents in a hallway outside the Broncos’ locker room right after the news that Nix’s season was over.
“It’s heartbreaking; he’s one of my best friends,” Stidham expressed. “… We wouldn’t be in this position without Bo, and I know all of us on offense, on the whole team, want to go out there and make him proud.”
Throughout Nix’s first two NFL seasons, Stidham and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb have been invaluable resources for him. Payton recognized Stidham’s value so much that he was instrumental in signing him to a two-year, $12 million contract this past offseason.
“I have faith in Sean, in Davis, and [offensive coordinator] Joe [Lombardi] and our group. Supporting Bo and helping him progress is something I truly take pride in,” Stidham said. “I wanted to be involved as it’s clear [Payton] is steering the train in the right direction. I think no one could dispute that, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Stidham’s personality—along with his portable stereo “Mr. Turtle,” which is waterproof so his music can be heard in the showers—are integral components of the Broncos’ culture. He has made a mark on a team that has repeatedly mentioned how much they appreciate one another’s company.
From a football standpoint, Stidham has demonstrated an aggressive approach in preseason and practices, evidenced by his 9.9 yards per completion this past preseason, which was the highest among quarterbacks with at least 30 preseason attempts, while his four touchdown passes ranked second. Over his regular-season career, he has tallied 1,422 passing yards, 8 touchdown passes, and 8 interceptions.
His standout regular-season performance occurred in the penultimate game of the 2022 season with the Raiders. After stepping in for Derek Carr in the final two games, he produced a remarkable 365-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 37-34 overtime defeat against the San Francisco 49ers, who led the NFL that season in scoring defense and total defense. Payton stated this week that Stidham’s performance in that game significantly influenced the Broncos’ aggressive pursuit to sign him in the subsequent offseason.
One aspect to monitor with Stidham is his ability to avoid sacks. He has been sacked 13 times in his four career starts, including six against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 season finale. but, Nix excelled at evading sacks behind a Broncos offensive line ranked eighth in the NFL for pass block win rate (68.1%), getting sacked just 22 times in 17 regular-season games and not at all in Saturday’s victory over the Bills.
Stidham also possesses a knack for stepping up during pivotal moments. While playing for Auburn in 2017, he defeated two top-ranked teams (Georgia and Alabama) within a span of two weeks as a redshirt sophomore. Perhaps that’s why Payton quickly declared “watch, just watch” when discussing Stidham while the news about Nix was still fresh following the Bills game.
This week, Stidham has maintained a mindset of keeping things “normal” and just being himself.
“I’m still a vibe guy,” he said. “… I like to keep the vibes flowing. … We’re competing in [the] AFC Championship [Game]—one of the last four teams standing—what’s not to enjoy about this?”
