Though Jarrett Stidham was a New England Patriots draft pick, few on the current roster have played with or against the now-Denver Broncos quarterback.
But Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings is one of the few who was with Stidham in Foxborough, and the veteran opened up about what Stidham will bring to the AFC Championship Game as Denver’s starter.
Stidham, a fourth-round pick of the Patriots at the 2019 NFL Draft, is in line to start his first playoff game for Denver starter Bo Nix. Nix sustained a season-ending ankle injury in overtime of the Broncos’ 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round.
The Pats are one win from their NFL-record 12th Super Bowl appearance and will visit the Broncos on Sunday in Denver at 3 p.m. ET.
Jarrett Stidham Did A ‘Good Job Of Doing His Job’ In New England
Many Patriots fans have surely seen the list where Stidham was ranked the top national dual-threat quarterback in his senior year of high school — ahead of Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Sam Darnold and Kyler Murray.
Stidham also was once the perceived heir apparent to Tom Brady, after he was chosen with the 133rd overall pick in 2019. But he played just eight games over four seasons in New England, losing a competition in 2020 to Cam Newton and being leaped on the depth chart by Mac Jones, and Stidham was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.
Still, Jennings lauded Stidham as both a teammate and opponent, since the former Alabama defensive player shared a locker room with him in Foxborough but also was a rival of the Auburn-bred quarterback.
“[Stidham] was a good teammate,” Jennings said. “He did a good job of doing his job, I thought.”
The Patriots Are Guarding Against Sean Payton’s Scheming
New England has a clear advantage by playing against a backup quarterback, even though it will be on the road.
But Broncos head coach Sean Payton is a true wild card when it comes to offensive game planning. The veteran will be coaching his fifth conference-championship game in the NFL, and he is 2-2 in the previous four — including a memorable 41-0 win over the Minnesota Vikings as offensive coordinator for the New York Giants in 2000.
So the Patriots defense is preparing for Payton to pull out some stops with Stidham, who has put very little on tape for Mike Vrabel, Terrell Williams and Co. to prepare for.
“He’s always, I feel like, been an offensive guru in this league,” Jennings said of Payton. “Somebody that knows how to use multiple personnel groups to create the types of plays that benefit the guys on the team.”
This will only be Stidham’s fifth NFL start, and he has not taken a regular-season snap this year before being thrown into his most highly scrutinized outing as a pro. But Jennings alerted his teammates to watch out for the 6-3, 215-pounder’s physical abilities.
“We’ve got to do a good job of preparing this week,” Jennings said. “I know they had the injury [to Nix], but those guys want to win just like we want to win. We’ve got to do a good job preparing and getting our bodies ready to go and be locked in.”
Anfernee Jennings Sends Message on Former Patriots Teammate Jarrett Stidham