Jarrett Stidham is wrapping up his third year with the Broncos, his sixth in the NFL, and is about to embark on the most important week of his life. He is set to start the AFC Championship Game for the Broncos after their 33-30 defeat of the Buffalo Bills in overtime, which saw Bo Nix fracture his ankle on the second-to-last play of the game. With Nix out for the year, the Broncos turn to Stidham to take them to a Super Bowl.
Stidham has only been in Denver for three years, but his Broncos ties seemingly run much deeper than just the three seasons. The Broncos' backup is considered one of the better second-stringers in the game, but his path took a while and a few different turns to get to this point. At multiple stops along this way, however, he hit different intersections that all relate to the Denver Broncos.
After his freshman year at Baylor, Stidham sat out a year after transferring to Auburn. He was a solid two-year starter at Auburn and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round. On his way out the door at Auburn, he made sure to leave a stellar review for one of the most prestigious high school recruits in the country: quarterback Bo Nix out of Arkansas.
Jarrett Stidham's past is filled with Denver Broncos ties
It has become no secret over the past two years that Nix and Stidham have become close friends, but not many realize how far back their story goes. It began in Bo’s high school days as a recruit, trying to decide where to attend school, marking the first interaction between Stidham and a future Bronco. Nix would go on to start for Auburn the year after Stidham was drafted, effectively making Nix his replacement. In Auburn lore, this now famous photo of Nix and Stidham represented the passing of the torch.
This picture was taken at Auburn in 2018. Jarrett Stidham was Auburn’s starting QB. Bo Nix was a HS recruit. Stidham will now start in place of Nix for a shot at a Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/00LLxtVHCk
— Porter Johnson (@_PorterJohnson) January 18, 2026
When the Patriots drafted Stidham, many viewed him as a project quarterback who could become the heir to Tom Brady after a few years in the system. He was never exactly given a chance to take over for the legendary quarterback, but he did receive a fair share of preseason snaps during his time there. Much of this came towards the end of the Patriots' dynasty, which saw their roster construction bring in more veterans to keep their window open.
One of those veterans? The late, great Demaryius Thomas, who now resides in the Broncos Ring of Honor. Stidham and Thomas connected for a touchdown during the 2018 preseason, which only makes the ties between Stidham and the Broncos more incredible. He left the Patriots after the 2021 season, following offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to Las Vegas. From there, he signed in Denver, meaning he has only played for two play-callers in the pros: McDaniels and Sean Payton.
Also, lets not forget that the Broncos have started a backup quarterback while being home underdogs to a Patriots team before. Brock Osweiler and the Broncos stunned a 10-0 Patriots team in Denver, ending their unbeaten season and giving the Broncos an inside track on home field advantage through the 2015 AFC playoffs to Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara.
A little over ten years later, the Broncos find themselves in the same spot, starting a backup as home underdogs to New England, but this time with a trip to Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara on the line.