Nick Foles Fires Up Broncos Fans About Beating Patriots With Jarrett Stidham

Nick Foles with the mic drop.

Feb 4, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) throws deep in the pocket against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

The NFL world is offering its support to Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos. Nix delivered a signature performance in the Broncos' 33-30 Divisional Round playoff win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, but fractured his ankle on the third-to-last play of overtime, ending his season.

Enter Jarrett Stidham as the Broncos' No. 1 quarterback in what's set to be the franchise's biggest game in a decade. The Broncos will host the AFC Championship Game on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High against the Drake Maye-led New England Patriots.

The Broncos are hoping to for some backup quarterback playoff magic from here on out. And who would know better how to conjure such spells than Nick Foles, the former backup quarterback who led the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl triumph in 2017?

The 36-year-old Foles weighed in with a message of support for Nix, as well as Broncos Country, taking the opportunity to get a little dig in on the Patriots for good measure.

"Note for the Broncos and their fans: I know it has been an emotional 24 hours. I feel for Bo and the team, and I'm sending prayers for a strong recovery," Foles posted on X Sunday evening after New England defeated the Houston Texans to advance to the conference title game. "A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games."

Note for the Broncos and their fans: I know it has been an emotional 24 hours. I feel for Bo and the team, and I'm sending prayers for a strong recovery.

A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games.

— Nick Foles (@NickFoles) January 18, 2026

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Broncos Parallels

Oct 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Foles famously led the Eagles to a win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. He took over as the starter in Week 14 that year in relief of an injured Carson Wentz.

Foles went on to deliver one of the signature moments in Super Bowl history, catching a touchdown pass via the 'Philly Special,' on the way to also being named the game's MVP.

There are so many weird parallels and historical markers surrounding the 2025 Broncos. Not only did the Broncos win the AFC West and earn the No. 1 playoff seed for the first time since 2015, but they also secured their first postseason victory since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl 50.

On top of that, Super Bowl 60 will be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the very venue in which the Broncos last won the Super Bowl a decade ago. So, when Foles points out another football coincidence — a backup quarterback set to go against the Patriots in a championship game — perhaps we shouldn't dismiss the cosmic significance.

The Broncos are, of course, heartbroken about losing Nix. But they're already rallying around Stidham as the quarterback moving forward. Sean Payton has expressed his confidence in Stidham twice since the Nix news broke, and the players will close ranks around their new starter, too.

It's a lot of pressure for Stidham to manage. Fortunately, he's stepping into a situation that every quarterback under the sun would envy: starting for a No. 1 seed in a conference title game at home. He's one win away from starting in the Super Bowl, like Foles.

So, it's not as if Stidham doesn't have a lot going for him. It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out, but stars may still be aligning for the 2025 Broncos, even in the wake of the devastating Nix news, as Foles so eloquently pointed out on X.