The 2025 Denver Broncos were already in pretty uncharted waters, and then Saturday afternoon happened. The Broncos won another one-score game and another overtime thriller, but somehow the biggest moment of the night happened post-game. Sean Payton announced that Bo Nix's season was over, and seemingly, nothing that happened on the field mattered anymore.
Stidham has been the backup in Denver for three seasons now, and only saw work when he was moved up the depth chart over Russell Wilson. He was one of the first signings of the Payton era, and is already on a second contract with the team, and that does say something for Stidham. The weight of a Super Bowl run now sits squarely on his shoulders, the same shoulders that haven't held an NFL start in roughly 750 days.
Stepping in for an injured starter on a Super Bowl hopeful isn't terribly uncommon, but it surely isn't a recurring scene. Most recently, Nick Foles stepped in for an injured Carson Wentz, and his journey ended with a Super Bowl MVP. With his name now resurfacing in conversations around the AFC title game, Foles made sure to throw his support behind Stidham and the Broncos.
Nick Foles gave Stidham and the Broncos a much needed shoutout on X
The Broncos will host the New England Patriots next Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, the same team that Foles beat for his Super Bowl MVP trophy. Foles seemingly takes every chance he can get to dunk on the Patriots, and he took no time to get another shot in.
Note for the Broncos and their fans: I know it has been an emotional 24 hours. I feel for Bo and the team, and I'm sending prayers for a strong recovery.
— Nick Foles (@NickFoles) January 18, 2026
A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games.
Foles' win over the Patriots came against the legendary Tom Brady, who many believed Stidham could be the heir to. He spent the beginning of his career in New England, and even overlapped with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas. He'll face these same Patriots in his first career playoff start, and will need to channel his inner Foles to knock them off.
The Broncos have the support of Foles and seemingly anyone who loves a great story. It's not often you get the career backing quarterback getting a shot at playoff immortality, let alone against the team that he broke into the league with. Stidham's ties with the Patriots go deeper than many realize, which could be a factor this weekend. Having a Foles-type run would make him a legend forever, beginning with his old Patriots team.