Broncos Vets Sound Off on Jarrett Stidham Becoming the QB1

A window inside the Broncos locker room after Bo Nix's shocking injury.

Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) prepares to pass the ball in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Bo Nix's season-ending injury sucked the oxygen out of the Denver Broncos' first playoff win since 2015. But Nix's injury doesn't change what that hard-fought win purchased the Broncos: a chance at advancing to Super Bowl 60.  

It was rotten luck for Nix, but once the dust settled a little, having a quarterback like Jarrett Stidham waiting in the wings has given Broncos Country plenty of reasons to be hopeful. Stidham has been marinating in Sean Payton's offense for three years, preparing for an opportunity like this.

The recent history of Nick Foles leading the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl triumph in 2017, defeating the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots, has only bolstered the optimism surrounding the Broncos entering the AFC championship game.

The burgeoning hope in what Stidham might be capable of is not merely based on blind faith. Payton has already expressed his confidence in Stidham, telling fans to "watch out," and there's plenty of evidence that the Broncos locker room believes the seventh-year quarterback has the chops to lead them into battle vs. the Patriots on Sunday, just ask All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen. 

"We have full faith in 'Stiddy,'" Allen said via conference call on Monday. "He's the first guy in the building every day, and he prepares like a starter. So we're really excited to see what he does. And obviously, he goes against the defense in practice all the time, and he's great. He's definitely a really good quarterback in this league. So excited to see what he does this week." 

The Broncos' game plan moving forward will be tweaked to accommodate Stidham's more classic drop-back skill set. Even so, the Broncos will work to avoid putting the defense behind the eight-ball, but Allen still feels Stidham can light anyone up because he can make all the throws. 

"I think 'Stiddy,' he's really, really smart," Allen said. "He studies it, and he's like a second quarterback coach out there. And then on top of it, too, he can make every single throw, I think. You see in the games he's played for us and back with the [Las Vegas] Raiders, he's made some really incredible throws. So yeah, no, we're really lucky to have him; it'll be good on Sunday."

Payton has always loved a challenge; he won with Teddy Bridgewater filling in for five games when Drew Brees was injured in New Orleans. Payton knows how to play to his team's strengths.

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McGlinchey's 'Utmost Confidence'

Jan 12, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Denver Broncos offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey (69) on the sidelines before an AFC wild card game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Nix has excelled at executing Payton's game plan, and Stidham is smart enough to pick up the torch and roll forward. Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey echoed Payton on Monday, expressing the "utmost confidence" in Stidham.

"In terms of 'Stiddy,' I think I'm also going to hammer home the confidence that Sean portrayed out there because, being around 'Stiddy' for the last three years now, one, he's one of my best friends. And two, this guy just loves football," McGlinchey said via conference call. "He's been absorbing everything that we've been doing. He's been ready for his opportunity, whenever that may come. He stays in his routine every single day for three years straight, not knowing when that opportunity is going to come around. I know that our team and our staff and everybody has got the utmost confidence in Jarrett to play well and lead our team forward."

How it will come to pass on Sunday remains to be seen, but Stidham keeping the game close would be greatly aided if the Broncos' starting running back, J.K. Dobbins, is activated in time to play, after his 21-day practice window was opened this week. McGlinchey fully understands how valuable Dobbins is to this offense, regardless of which quarterback is under center.

"J.K. is a huge energy piece for our team," McGlinchey said. "I'll leave all this discussion up to the trainers and the staff on that. But he's obviously a huge piece of what we've done, an incredibly great teammate. He's been working his butt off to be able to have a chance to get back. Incredibly, incredibly important to what we've been doing. Obviously, still incredibly confident in no matter who is playing running back for us, but yeah, in terms of J.K., it would be a great boost if he's healthy." 

Only a few days removed from Nix's injury, the Broncos' locker room has already moved past the shock. The players have closed ranks around Stidham, with an eye toward extending this storybook season with an unlikely win over the Patriots on Sunday in the AFC title game.