The Denver Broncos might have something special brewing with Jarrett Stidham, who is already on his second contract with the Denver Broncos. Stidham was actually one of the first free agents that the Broncos signed when Sean Payton arrived back in 2023.
And they re-signed up for another two years following the 2024 NFL Season. He's never started a game for Denver in the Bo Nix era but is getting his chance on Sunday in the AFC title game. The Broncos are hosting the New England Patriots with a trip to Super Bowl LX on the line,
Stidham has known he'd be starting really ever since the game ended, and much of the chatter since then has been quite positive about Stidham. Sean Payton spoke highly of him earlier this week, and there are some folks in the national media who have also been talking him up a bit.
QB coach Jordan Palmer just made a massive statement about Broncos' backup QB Jarrett Stidham
Here is what Jordan Palmer had to say. He's the brother of long-time NFL QB Carson Palmer and is a veteran QB coach who has worked with a ton of quarterbacks:
💻 @JwPalms
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 21, 2026
"I think if Drake Maye and Jarrett Stidham both play at their best, I don’t think it’s much different."
The veteran QB coach is all-in on #BroncosCountry backup this Sunday against #NEPats with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line:#NFL #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/SKW0Um6St6
To say this is just flat-out wild, and it's a good thing for the Broncos. Palmer is the founder of QB Summit and has worked with a ton of NFL quarterbacks during his post-playing career. He did play for about eight years in the NFL and was drafted to the league back in 2007.
Palmer lives and breathes the quarterback position, so for him to say this, especially while lumping Drake Maye in, is just crazy. Broncos fans who are a bit concerned about how well Jarrett Stidham plays on Sunday are absolutely valid in their thoughts.
He's not made a start in the playoffs before, was a mid-round draft pick, and is a career backup. Those types of players shouldn't play well given the situation, but there are some loud voices who think he will.
There is another element to this, as well - Sean Payton wants to prove people wrong again. Not only did he prove the NFL world wrong with Bo Nix, but Stidham is also another one of 'his guys,' so Payton wants to show the entire world how good Stidham can be.
Only time will tell if Stidham is ready for this being a high-stakes game, but it seems like the he'll be prepared and fully capable of executing the offense.