The Denver Broncos secured a thrilling Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills in overtime last weekend but received devastating postgame news when head coach Sean Payton revealed that star quarterback Bo Nix sustained a fractured ankle on the second-to-last play from scrimmage, effectively ending his season.
Now, ahead of this weekend’s AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Mile High Stadium, second-string quarterback Jarrett Stidham has been taking all the reps and will receive a legitimate opportunity to prove himself.
Stidham hasn’t logged any stats this season but has spent the past two years with the Broncos, meaning the offense should come fairly easily to him. He also has previous game experience from brief stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Patriots, who originally drafted him in 2019.
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Despite the massive opportunity in front of him, Stidham made sure to speak about Nix when addressing the media on Wednesday, delivering an honest message about how close the two quarterbacks have become over the past two years.
“This is not about myself, first of all. Obviously, my thoughts and prayers have been with Bo since Saturday night. It’s crushing because he’s one of my best friends,” Stidham said. “Sam [Ehlinger] and I were talking about this—Sam and I probably spend more time with him than his wife does right now, and that’s just the nature of the business we’re in. When training camp starts, that’s just how it is.
“I see Bo more than I see my kids. You spend so much time with someone, you see how hard they work and how good of a teammate they are, and then something like that happens, and you’re just crushed.”
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It will be a tall task for Stidham to step in for the first time all season against a dominant Patriots defense that forced five turnovers against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round.
Still, playing at home will be a major advantage, and the Broncos can also lean on their experienced head coach in Payton and one of the NFL’s top defenses when the game kicks off Sunday at 3 p.m. EST.
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