An even crazier twist: Stidham will face the team that drafted him, the New England Patriots, in the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots had even tried to bring him back to back up Drake Maye this season. Instead, Stidham signed a 2-year, $12 million extension with the Broncos. 💸🏟️ The Athletic’s Diana Russini noted that before re-signing, Stidham had interest and an offer from the Patriots.
Stidham has four career starts, averaging over 250 yards per game and six touchdowns. In seven NFL seasons with the Patriots, Raiders and Broncos, he’s 1-3 in those starts. His limited opportunities came after Derek Carr and Russell Wilson were benched for the final weeks of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. 🧭📈
The conversation around Stidham vs. the Patriots figure to get louder as kickoff approaches. The Patriots “did a lot of work” on potentially signing Stidham this past offseason, per Zac Stevens, while the Broncos re-signed him a day before free agency opened. Now he’ll go against his former team with a real chance to reach the Super Bowl. 🔍🗼
Stidham’s only full regular-season action came in 2023, but his last extended action was a flashy preseason showing: in the Broncos’ 30-9 win over the 49ers on August 9, he went 14-for-15 for 136 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions, adding 3 carries for 36 yards for a 144.0 passer rating. He’s been known for his scrambling ability, which drew buzz even in that setting. “I’ll be telling my kids about the Jarrett Stidham legacy,” one journalist quipped after that performance. 🧠🏁
