Jarrett Stidham is a Denver Broncos quarterback who will start after Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury, per head coach Sean Payton.
Nix was injured late in overtime of Denver’s playoff win over the Buffalo Bills, a victory that pushed the Broncos into the AFC Championship Game. The news came immediately after the game. Cameras during the game saw Nix moving gingerly after taking a knee to help the Broncos set up their game-winning field goal.
Key details
- What happened: Bo Nix suffered an ankle injury late vs. Buffalo and will have surgery Tuesday, per Payton.
- Who starts: Jarrett Stidham, 29, is expected to start; Sam Ehlinger will be the No. 2 QB.
- What’s next: Denver is headed to the AFC Championship Game.
1. Jarrett Stidham Will Start for the Broncos After Bo Nix’s Injury
The Broncos have already made it official: Stidham is the next starter. Payton said Stidham will start with Nix sidelined for the rest of the season, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Sam Ehlinger will back him up. That’s a major pivot for Denver, and it’s coming with the season’s biggest stage next.
2. The Broncos Re-Signed Jarrett Stidham in 2025
Stidham isn’t a random emergency option; Denver invested in him. The Broncos re-signed Stidham to a two-year deal in 2025, a move widely viewed as keeping a trusted No. 2 quarterback in Payton’s system behind Nix. In other words: the Broncos planned for this possibility, even if they never wanted to use it.
3. Jarrett Stidham’s Biggest NFL Start Came With the Raiders
Also, don’t forget why Sean Payton originally signed him. It was his performance in 2022 vs NFL’s top defense👇🏼
He has real-game reps, including one big-time “I can do this” start. Stidham’s most memorable extended action came with the Raiders, when he threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL start, nearly knocking off the 49ers. Over his career, he’s logged regular-season action with New England, Las Vegas and Denver, with his overall stat line sitting around 1,400+ passing yards and an even TD-to-INT split, per NFL.com’s career totals.
4. Jarrett Stidham Was a 4th-Round Draft Pick (No. 133) by the Patriots
He entered the league as a mid-round “developmental” QB, and the Patriots drafted him as a Brady understudy. Stidham was picked by the New England Patriots in the fourth round (No. 133 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft, a selection widely framed at the time as adding a long-term quarterback project behind Tom Brady. Predraft/early scouting on him generally emphasized NFL-caliber arm talent and play-action/rollout ability, with the “project” label tied to consistency and development needs, the type of profile teams take on Day 3 hoping coaching and time sharpen the decision-making.
Stidham is married to Kennedy Stidham, who was a Baylor soccer player.
5. Jarrett Stidham Played at Auburn and Earned All-SEC Honors
In college, Stidham was a legit SEC quarterback, and earned conference honors. Stidham played two seasons at Auburn (2017-18) and helped lead the Tigers to the 2017 SEC Championship Game. He was also named second-team All-SEC in 2017 after throwing for 3,158 yards with 18 TDs and six INTs, per the Broncos’ bio.
FAQ
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How old is Jarrett Stidham? 29
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What college did Jarrett Stidham go to? Baylor, before transferring to Auburn.
Jarrett Stidham is the New Broncos QB After Bo Nix Injury: 5 Fast Facts