A New Chapter for Jarrett Stidham

When New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel discussed the possibility of adding quarterback Jarrett Stidham to the team during the offseason, he had no idea how ironic the situation would become. Stidham, who has spent seven seasons as a backup quarterback, has only started four games — each time because his team had lost faith in the starter. Never once did he step in due to an injury. However, that changed on Sunday when Stidham took over as the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.

Bo Nix, the Broncos’ starting quarterback, suffered a broken bone in his right ankle during Denver’s 33-30 overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. As a result, Nix is out for the season, and Stidham will now lead the Broncos into the championship game.

The Unexpected Turn

Stidham’s journey to the AFC Championship Game has been anything but conventional. He joined the New England Patriots in 2019 as a fourth-round draft pick from Auburn. When offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels moved to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, he traded for Stidham. Stidham started the final two games of the 2022 season and continued to start in 2023 after moving to the Broncos in free agency.

Now, with McDaniels back as the New England offensive coordinator, the Patriots have shown interest in Stidham again. Vrabel praised Stidham’s ability to read the field and make quick decisions, noting that he sees things well and is athletic enough to extend plays.

Confidence in Stidham

Denver head coach Sean Payton expressed confidence in Stidham despite the limited number of snaps he has taken this season. Payton highlighted Stidham’s mental aptitude and understanding of the game, even though his practice reps with the starting offense were sparse.

“In New Orleans, he was a target for us in the draft,” Payton said. “That doesn’t really mean anything other than we liked this player coming out. I know how he was coached in New England. I know exactly how he was coached in New England. And then I know how (Josh) McDaniels felt about him when he brought him from New England to Vegas, and then I know reports on how he played and then we saw him play real time.”

Payton also mentioned that there will be changes in the game plan for Sunday because Stidham will be under center instead of Nix. “The plan’s always got to be built around the type and the skill set of the players you’re playing with,” Payton said. “And so are there certain things that Bo does differently than Stiddy? Absolutely. And that’s where the work begins tonight.”

Stidham’s Track Record

Stidham’s first two NFL regular-season starts came with the Raiders as they prepared to part ways with Derek Carr, and his other two starts came with the Broncos as they did the same with Russell Wilson. In his four starts, Stidham completed 85-of-136 passes for 1,080 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions, ran for 92 yards on 23 carries, and was sacked 13 times.

He is among the five players in NFL history with at least 1,080 passing yards and 90 rushing yards in his first four starts, a list that also includes former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.

A Bittersweet Moment

Nix was on a championship trajectory this season, achieving his 25th win as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Only two other quarterbacks have accomplished that in their first two seasons, and both players — Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson — ended their second seasons as Super Bowl champions.

Payton said he didn’t realize Stidham would be the Broncos’ starting quarterback in the AFC Championship Game until after Saturday’s victory over Buffalo, even though Nix got hurt on the game-winning drive. Nix sustained the injury on a quarterback keeper, but threw a pass and ran the ball into the middle of the field for the game-ending field goal afterward.

“He centers the ball for us,” Payton said of Nix. “And then as he comes over, I kind of chest-bump him, you know, jab him like, ‘Freaking A,’ and he’s like, ‘Oh, careful.’ And I’m like, ‘You all right?’ And he said, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘But, man, it’s hurting.’ And I said, ‘What do you got?’ He said, ‘My ankle.’ And I said, ‘All right.’ I said, ‘You’ll be fine.’ And I jabbed him in the chest again. I said, ‘Just enjoy this field goal.’”

The Upcoming Matchup

The Patriots and Broncos will square off in the AFC Championship Game at 2 p.m. CST Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. CBS will televise the game.

The winner of that game will play the winner of the NFC Championship Game in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks will play for the NFC title at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle. FOX will televise the game.