Jarrett

Stidham

Stidham’s best play of the game came on the Broncos’ second possession, when he caught the Patriots defense sleeping and aired out a 52-yard completion to Marvin Mims on a third-and-ten. Stidham would follow up that play two plays later with a six-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton to give the Broncos their only points on the day. A controversial fumble on a backwards pass by Stidham late in the second quarter put the Patriots in prime position to score their only touchdown of the game, and a late interception in the fourth quarter officially sealed the Broncos’ fate. Stidham did what he could against a stout Patriots defense, but the added wrinkle of snowy elements in the second half further amplified his struggles. Sunday’s game marked the first time since 2023 that Stidham attempted a pass in a meaningful NFL game. The veteran quarterback remains under contract through the 2026 season and is unlikely to go anywhere this offseason.

Nix’s broken ankle was devastating news for the Broncos as they came out of the Divisional Round. The silver lining is that he should be ready for the team’s offseason program and the injury is not expected to be a long-term issue. According to Schefter, “The recovery, not the surgery, is thought to be the most challenging part of this injury.” Nix will not be able to put weight on his ankle for a month, putting to bed any notion of a Super Bowl miracle. Jarrett Stidham will draw the start in the AFC Championship game versus the Patriots. He will also start in the Super Bowl if the Broncos win today.

Nix reportedly broke a bone in his ankle on the second-to-last play of regulation in the Broncos’ Divisional Round game against the Bills. Nix can now begin the rehabilitation process as backup QB Jarrett Stidham takes the reins for Denver’s AFC Championship Game against the Patriots.

Payton on Sunday said Stidham — who will start the AFC title game with Bo Nix (ankle) sidelined — has “a lot to his ball” and has consistently demonstrated a strong arm in practice. Stidham on 197 regular season attempts over six seasons has completed 59.5 percent of his throws and averaged a decent 7.2 yards per attempt. It’s possible Stidham can manage the Denver offense well enough to make the Broncos competitive against whoever they play in the AFC title game in Denver. He likely won’t be asked to do much, however. Stidham hasn’t thrown a regular season pass since 2023.

Stidham has not thrown an NFL pass since 2023, but after the jaw-dropping reveal that Bo Nix (ankle) will miss the remainder of the playoffs after breaking a bone deep in overtime, Payton announced that Stidham will start the AFC title game. Sam Ehlinger is the only other quarterback on the roster. Stidham has a 1-3 career record as a starter with a 59.4 percent completion rate, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Whoever wins the Patriots/Texans game on Sunday will almost undoubtedly be favored next Sunday.

It is an absolute shockwave after the Broncos survived the Bills in overtime of the Divisional Round. Nix reportedly hurt the ankle on the second-to-last play of regulation. Jarrett Stidham would seem to be in line to start the AFC Championship game at home against the winner of Patriots/Texans next Sunday. Nix’s season ends with a 3931-25-11 passing line in the regular season, along with a 279-3-1 game against the Bills in the Divisional Round. Nix didn’t exactly take a notable step forward in his second season, but he was clutch — he led the league with seven game-winning drives — and he’d already shown enough talent to be a low-end franchise quarterback in his rookie year. Assuming this injury isn’t something that will sideline him for multiple months of the offseason, he’ll likely enter 2026 as a low-end QB1 in fantasy circles.

The Broncos’ No. 2 quarterback the past two seasons, Stidham was one of the first players coach Sean Payton signed in 2023. The job has become lower stakes following Bo Nix’s excellent 2024 rookie campaign, but Stidham still lacks the experience you would typically like in a clipboard holder. He has made only four career starts since arriving in the league in 2019. That being said, Payton clearly highly values Stidham’s input in the quarterback room. Just don’t expect him to save the season if Nix ever goes down.

Bo Nix is the obvious lock to make the roster here, while Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham were left to battle it out for the QB2 role. Wilson played on all but one drive for the Broncos on Sunday, throwing for 251 yards and two scores while rushing for another. Wilson played well enough this preseason to justify being kept on the roster if the Broncos wanted to keep three quarterbacks. Assuming Payton isn’t sending smoke signals on this one, it sounds like they are more than ready to carry three signal-callers entering Week 1, with Nix already named the starter.

Jarrett Stidham made the start in this one but was pulled after one drive, leaving Wilson to manage things the rest of the way. It’s possible this was a bit of a showcase game for Wilson, who could be on the cutting block if the Broncos opt to keep just two quarterbacks on the roster. The former No. 2 overall pick was solid in his final preseason outing. He didn’t turn the ball over and threw for two scores while rushing for another. Wilson’s longest pass of the night came on a 46-yard pass to Brandon Johnson, who he found deep downfield for the score. Wilson’s preseason ends with 397 passing yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. If the Broncos opt to move on from him, he’s almost certain to have suitors, but he may be more of a practice squad candidate than a QB2 option for the time being.

The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The No. 12 overall pick was the favorite to win the job heading into training camp. Though he had his fair share of rocky outings on the practice field, Nix slammed the door shut on Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson by going 23-of-30 with 205 yards and two touchdowns in his two preseason appearances. Nix looked comfortable under pressure, wasn’t sacked once, and didn’t throw an interception. Nix profiles as a great fit for Payton’s system and could surprise fantasy managers as a streaming QB2. He makes for a great upside bet in Superflex leagues.