For one week only, the Denver Broncos have thrown caution to the wind and placed their trust in backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham to carry them all the way to the Super Bowl. It's been nine years since Stidham last took the field as a starter, but that was back in 2023. His injury-plagued past has meant that he's had to sit on the bench for much of his career, with no guarantee of playing time.
Despite this, Stidham has consistently shown flashes of brilliance during training sessions and practice games, enough to have caught the attention of coach Sean Payton. The Broncos' head coach took notice when quarterback Bo Nix went down with an injury in last week's playoff game, and immediately handed over the reins to Stidham.
While some might view Stidham as a long-shot candidate, his experience speaks for itself. He spent three years playing behind Tom Brady in New England, soaking up every ounce of knowledge he could get from one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. And then, after being traded to the Raiders by Josh McDaniels, who is now Payton's offensive coordinator, Stidham was signed as a free agent.
For his part, Stidham has taken the news in stride, insisting that he's prepared for whatever comes his way. "I'm just going to go out there and play and be myself," he said in an interview. But with the weight of expectation on his shoulders, it remains to be seen how he'll fare against his former team, the Patriots, who are sure to give him a tough test.
As one coach-turned-commentator noted this week, Bill Parcells once told quarterback Jeff Hostetler that playing as a backup in high-pressure situations is an art form. It requires being able to stay calm under fire and trust your training to get the job done. With Stidham stepping up to take on this role, it will be interesting to see if he can rise to the challenge.
As for Stidham's past experience of waiting patiently for his chance to shine, Parcells took a moment to acknowledge how difficult that must have been. "I just wanted you to know, people don't realize how difficult that was to accomplish what you did," he said in a conversation with Hostetler. It was clear that Parcells had some respect for the way Stidham persevered despite his uncertain future.
Whatever happens on Sunday, one thing is certain - this will be a story to remember if Jarrett Stidham can lead the Broncos all the way to the Super Bowl. Can he overcome his lack of starts and prove himself as a top-tier quarterback? We'll find out soon enough.
Despite this, Stidham has consistently shown flashes of brilliance during training sessions and practice games, enough to have caught the attention of coach Sean Payton. The Broncos' head coach took notice when quarterback Bo Nix went down with an injury in last week's playoff game, and immediately handed over the reins to Stidham.
While some might view Stidham as a long-shot candidate, his experience speaks for itself. He spent three years playing behind Tom Brady in New England, soaking up every ounce of knowledge he could get from one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. And then, after being traded to the Raiders by Josh McDaniels, who is now Payton's offensive coordinator, Stidham was signed as a free agent.
For his part, Stidham has taken the news in stride, insisting that he's prepared for whatever comes his way. "I'm just going to go out there and play and be myself," he said in an interview. But with the weight of expectation on his shoulders, it remains to be seen how he'll fare against his former team, the Patriots, who are sure to give him a tough test.
As one coach-turned-commentator noted this week, Bill Parcells once told quarterback Jeff Hostetler that playing as a backup in high-pressure situations is an art form. It requires being able to stay calm under fire and trust your training to get the job done. With Stidham stepping up to take on this role, it will be interesting to see if he can rise to the challenge.
As for Stidham's past experience of waiting patiently for his chance to shine, Parcells took a moment to acknowledge how difficult that must have been. "I just wanted you to know, people don't realize how difficult that was to accomplish what you did," he said in a conversation with Hostetler. It was clear that Parcells had some respect for the way Stidham persevered despite his uncertain future.
Whatever happens on Sunday, one thing is certain - this will be a story to remember if Jarrett Stidham can lead the Broncos all the way to the Super Bowl. Can he overcome his lack of starts and prove himself as a top-tier quarterback? We'll find out soon enough.
Jarret Stidham's been through so much, it's impressive he's still got game for it. Playing behind Tom Brady was like having a mentor, and now he's in the perfect spot to show off his skills. I mean, Coach Sean Payton saw something in him that made him trust him enough to start, so we gotta respect that. It's gonna be fun to watch how this all unfolds, especially against the Patriots 
Stidham's got a lot riding on it, but if anyone can do it, I think he might just surprise us! 
. Stidham's been patient and waiting for his moment, and now it's finally here. I think he's gonna surprise everyone 
. He's got nothing to lose at this point, so might as well go out there and give it everything he's got 
. He hasn't had much playing time in years, and it'll be tough to get that Super Bowl mojo back 
. Still, with Parcells' words of wisdom ringing in his ears 
, maybe Stidham's got what it takes to rise above the hype 
, and I'm here for it! Can't wait to see how he'll handle the pressure on Sunday 
. Bring it on! 
! I mean, who wouldn't want to see a backup QB take on such a huge role, right? But at the same time, you gotta feel for Stidham - nine years is a long time without starting games 
. I'm hoping he can make his coach and teammates proud though 
It'll be super interesting to see how he handles the pressure, but if anyone can rise to the challenge, it's him. Let's go Broncos! 
. I mean, nine years without starting as a QB is crazy talk! 
.
he had to sit on the bench and watch others play. that gotta be hard mentally 
but at the same time, he got some sick training sessions & practice games under his belt... coach payton seems to trust him, which is a big deal 
it'll be interesting to see if he can stay calm & do what he was trained to do 
. He seems pretty chill about it, which is cool, but at the same time, I'm guessing there's some nervous energy brewing under the surface 
.
. Can he silence those doubts in his head and trust his training to take over? And more importantly, can the Broncos' coaching staff help him make the most of this opportunity 
against the Pats 
. Playing behind Tom Brady and waiting for his chance was no joke 
️ Can he prove himself as a top-tier QB? 
I'm telling u, this is like a perfect setup for some kinda manipulation 
think about it, they're throwin' stidham into the ring just to see how he reacts under pressure 
. He's got some good experience under his belt, playing behind Tom Brady, but let's not forget he's been out of the starting lineup for a while 
️. We'll see how it goes 
Bill Parcells said somethin bout backup QBs bein art form, stayin calm under pressure, & trustn ur trainin... idk if Stidham can pull it off but wut a diff 4 us fans 2 watch!!! 
. And you're right, playing as a backup is like an art form, it takes a special kind of calm under pressure 
, so maybe that'll give him an edge. It's also cool to see how coach Payton and Parcells believe in him - they think he's got what it takes to lead the Broncos all the way to the Super Bowl 
. i think its awesome that coach payton gave him the chance to shine, and 3 years playing behind tom brady cant be bad experience