The Super Bowl dreams of the Denver Broncos now rest on the shoulders of backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
From the highest of highest to the lowest of lows. No less than an hour after helping deliver the Denver Broncos their first playoff win in a decade, Head Coach Sean Payton announced quarterback Bo Nix will be out for the rest of the season due to a broken ankle suffered in their overtime win against the Buffalo Bills.
It’s a major punch to the gut for the team and all of Broncos Country. When you factor in the loss of Nix, alongside injuries to Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Alex Forsyth — the prospects of the Broncos’ offense in their AFC Championship Game next Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High look awfully grim.
Yet, the Broncos have fought too hard for us to give up on them now. All season long, just when you thought they were out of it, they found a way to gut out close victories. They say history never repeats itself. Nevertheless, Broncos Country is collectively hoping that Stidham can replicate the success of Nick Foles who took over for Carson Wentz in 2017 and helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl LII.
A former fourth-round pick by the New England Patriots out of Auburn, Stidham has also played for the Las Vegas Raiders. He has been Denver’s primary backup quarterback the last three seasons. In my roster review of him prior to Denver’s 2025 campaign, I had this to say about the veteran signal caller.
Playing with three different franchises to date, Stidham doesn’t have a lot of on the field reps compared to a lot of backup quarterbacks. His last significant playing time came during the regular season came in 2023, when he replaced Russell Wilson at the end of the season. In those two games, he threw for 496 yards and completed 40 passes with two touchdowns, and one interception.
Entering his third year with the Broncos, Stidham has been able to learn Payton’s complex system and continue to develop under the tutelage of quarterback coach Davis Webb. With only Sam Ehlinger as the only other quarterback in the mix, Stidham will likely see ample playing time in the preseason to work on his craft and execution on the field.
For his career, Stidham has appeared in 20 games with just 4 starts. The sixth-year pro has completed 117-of-197 attempts for 8 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Those aren’t confidence inspiring numbers. However, one reason for optimism — was fleeting as it may be — was Stidham’s success in Denver’s final preseason game of the year against the Cardinals.
In that outing, he looked poised and in command of the Broncos’ offense. He went 16-of-23 for 240 yards and two touchdowns. The experience isn’t there, but he earned glowing praise for his preseason and camp performance. Moreover, was often lauded by his fellow teammates and coaches prior to the year for his diligence and preparation.
Without Nix in the fold, the Broncos lose his great ability to throw on the run and escape from the pocket. However, Stidham has shown to be a rhythm passer capable of distributing the ball well in the short-and-intermediate concepts that are staples of Payton’s passing game.
Only time will tell if Stidham is able to rise to the occasion and do enough to help Denver get to Super Bowl 60. But let’s not count the Broncos out just because Nix won’t be leading the team into battle on the gridiron next weekend. It’s a team game and Denver’s shown a lot of moxie all year long.
It’s been a while, but let’s also remember Peyton Manning wasn’t at his best a decade ago when the Broncos secured the franchise’s third Lombardi Trophy be defeating the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. This is a strong Broncos team capable of competing for a title regardless of who the quarterback is. Let’s hope Stidham can do his part to keep the Broncos’ magical season going.
