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Jarrett Stidham’s stats and backstory: Can the Broncos' QB lead Denver to the AFC Championship title?
With quarterback Bo Nix ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs after fracturing his ankle last weekend, the Denver Broncos' postseason hopes now fall to Jarrett Stidham, a 29-year-old career backup with eight touchdown passes to his name.
Stidham is tasked with steering Denver's offense in their biggest game for a decade - an AFC Championship showdown against a dominant New England Patriots' defense that has limited their two playoff opponents to a combined 19 points.
As he prepares for the challenge ahead, we break down Stidham's career stats, his journey, and his chances of defying the odds by leading Denver to Super Bowl LX.
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What the stats say
Drafted in the fourth round in 2019, Stidham spent two seasons with the New England Patriots, a year with the Las Vegas Raiders, and is in his third season with the Broncos.
At every stop, opportunities to play have proven elusive. In fact, he didn't start his first game until the tail end of the 2022 NFL season, when then-Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was benched for the final two games.
In the first of those games, a Week 17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Stidham - despite throwing for two interceptions - had some real flashes of brilliance.
He moved to Denver the following year, where, once again, he replaced a benched starter in Weeks 17 and 18. This time, it was Russell Wilson who gave way.
He lost one of those games to his former team, the Raiders, but he achieved his first career win as a starter against the Chargers in the other, completely 62.5% of his passes for one touchdown and zero interceptions.
The Auburn alum hasn’t attempted a pass in a regular-season game since, and his career numbers - a 59.4% completion rate, an even split of eight touchdowns to eight interceptions, and just a single snap at the end of last week’s game, his only playoff appearance - are unlikely to inspire confidence, even among the most optimistic Broncos fans.
From clipboard to centre stage
While NFL fans may not rate Stidham, inside the Broncos’ building, his ability has never been in doubt. Head coach Sean Payton even held a quarterback competition between Nix and Stidham before naming the former the starter.
Stidham's response to that decision tells you everything you need to know about his confidence.
"One of Stiddy's great strengths is his mental aptitude and his progression and understanding plays," Payton said, via the team website.
"There would be practices where I'm looking at [Defensive Coordinator] Vance [Joseph] getting [mad], because Stiddy's making our defense look bad. He's very accurate. He's got a lot to his ball."
Coachspeak? Perhaps, but that belief in Stidham is shared by his teammates.
Here's Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey raving about Stidham's ability and work ethic.
That confidence isn’t blind faith. Coaches and players alike note that Stidham has effectively functioned as a second quarterback coach, immersed in game plans, opponent tendencies and in-game adjustments all season long.
The Brady connection, and why it matters
One of the more intriguing subplots to Stidham’s moment is his long-standing relationship with Tom Brady. The two spent time together in New England, and Stidham revelled in the situation.
"I've just tried to sit back and watch what he does. You can learn a lot from just watching," he told reporters at the time.
"He's very open to conversation with me, too, which is great. If I have a question about anything, he's always willing to help me out. He's been great," he added.
If even a little of Brady's knack for winning big games has rubbed off on Stidham, he could surprise this weekend.
A defining opportunity: Can he win this weekend?
Whether a quarterback has been a long-time starter or a career backup, quarterbacks are ultimately judged by their performance in games like this.
Will the moment prove too big for him? Will he be able to get the best out of Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, and Co? Can he weather the storm against a Patriots' defense that created 33 pressures against the Texans in the Wild Card game?
By predicting a win for New England, we think the odds are too heavily stacked against him. But with the help of Denver's dominant defense and the offensive wizardry of Payton, the Broncos - and Stidham - have a fighting chance.
Ultimately, if Stidham somehow does enough to help Denver outscore Drake Maye's Patriots, he won't have only secured the Broncos a berth in Super Bowl LX; he will have validated the years of quiet preparation he has spent patiently waiting for this moment.
All eyes will be on #8 this Sunday.
