Awful news was revealed by head coach Sean Payton following the Denver Broncos 33-30 win in overtime against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the 2025-26 NFL playoffs. Starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle and has a scheduled surgery for Tuesday. He will miss the rest of the season. Backup, Jarrett Stidham, who was a day 1 free agent signing for the Broncos in Sean Payton's first year, will start in the AFC Championship game. Sam Ehlinger will be the backup.
Jarrett Stidham saw action for the Broncos in 2023, once they benched Russell Wilson, starting two games and winning one against the Los Angeles Chargers in the home finale. Lost against the Las Vegas Raiders in the season finale on the road. In 2024 and 2025, he saw limited action in four total games.
Regardless of what happens during next Sunday's AFC Championship, it has been a great season for the Denver Broncos, and backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will be in the NFL history books just for starting this game.
Jarrett Stidham will make history by starting in the AFC Championship game:
Broncos backup and now starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham will make history once he starts the AFC Championship game next week, as he will be the first quarterback in NFL history to start a championship game without a single pass attempt during the regular season. Yes, he saw a few snaps, but all were either handoffs to running backs or kneel-downs.
Not only did he not have a pass attempt in 2025, but also in 2024. He saw action in the season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs when Denver clinched the Playoffs for the first time since 2015, but also did not attempt a pass. Stidham's last pass attempt was back in the 2023-24 season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders in Sean Payton's first season as the Broncos head coach.
Additionally, Stidham will become the second quarterback in NFL history to make his first start of the season in the Championship game or the Super Bowl. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach was the first one. He made his first start of the season in the 1972 NFC Championship against Washington.
Recent backup quarterbacks who have started a playoff game include Skylar Thompson for the Dolphins in 2023, Taylor Heinicke for the Washington Football Team (now Commanders) in 2020, and Nick Foles for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
In the end, regardless of the result of next week's AFC Championship game, the 2025-26 season has been a massive success for the Denver Broncos, as they won their division for the first time since 2015 and earned the number one seed in the conference. It will be tough to be without QB1, Bo Nix, but it will be interesting to see how Jarrett Stidham responds.