Thrust into certainly one of the stranger spots in recent quarterback history, Jarrett Stidham couldn’t elevate the No. 1-seeded Broncos to Super Bowl LX after receiving an Eleventh-hour project. The Patriots eked out a 10-7 victory within the AFC championship game, one which devolved right into a snowy mess by the third quarter.
Stidham, who also committed a costly fumble in the primary half of that game, needed to start out after Bo Nix went down with a fractured ankle late within the AFC divisional round. One season stays on Stidham’s Broncos contract, and clubs are checking in on the Denver QB2’s trade availability, based on The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Sean Payton talked up Stidham shortly after announcing Nix was done for the season, and the QB had moments in a winnable game. Stidham found Marvin Mims deep in the primary quarter to establish a Courtland Sutton touchdown strike. Stidham was 17-for-31 for 133 yards, throwing an interception because the blizzard hit. Neither Stidham nor Drake Maye fared well within the blizzard conditions, and interested teams could also be giving the veteran backup a pass as a consequence of the conditions.
Payton pitted Nix against Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting job throughout the 2024 offseason. Nix landed the gig, and Stidham expressed disappointment by saying he viewed himself as a starter. Payton echoed that following Nix’s injury nearly 18 months later, indicating he had two first-stringers on his roster. The Broncos had signed Stidham hours into Payton’s first free agency, giving the ex-Patriot and Raider backup a two-year, $10MM deal in 2023 to back up Russell Wilson. They re-signed him (2/12) in 2025.
Stidham’s $5.5MM 2026 base salary carries a $2MM guarantee. The Broncos could create $6.5MM in cap space by trading the seven-year veteran. Denver has been linked to multiple cost-cutting moves, including a possible Ben Powers trade, before the 2026 league yr. It could still be a bit surprising, given Payton’s ties to Stidham, if the team moved on. A likelihood as a reasonable bridge QB somewhere could await, though, and Stidham’s name did come up on the 2024 trade deadline. Stidham will play an age-30 season in 2026; Nix is predicted to be ready for Denver’s offseason program.
Before Nix’s ill-timed injury, Stidham had grow to be known for being inserted into starting lineups as AFC West teams shelved their starters for financial purposes. The Raiders benched Derek Carr before the 2022 season finale, organising a separation, and the Broncos did the identical with Russell Wilson — at the identical juncture of the season — in 2023. Stidham made 4 starts for the Raiders and Broncos to shut out those campaigns, catching Payton’s interest with a formidable showing against the 49ers in Week 17 of the ’22 season. Stidham had not began a game between Week 18 of the ’23 campaign and this yr’s AFC championship game.
The Jets could also be a team to look at for Stidham, ESPN.com’s Wealthy Cimini writes. GM Darren Mougey was in Denver when the team initially signed the previous Patriots draftee. Expected to release Justin Fields and lacking a practical path to drafting Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall, the Jets could also be lower-cost vets in free agency or through a trade. Backup Tyrod Taylor‘s two-year, $12MM deal can be up, though Taylor is possibly still within the team’s plans for 2026.