A decision made during the NFL offseason now sits at the center of the postseason spotlight. One choice, made quietly in the spring, has reshaped the AFC Championship Game and altered the path to the Super Bowl. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham, the Denver Broncos backup, will make his first start in more than two years when Denver hosts the New England Patriots on Sunday. The stage could not be bigger.
Stidham replaces rookie starter Bo Nix, who suffered a broken ankle on the next-to-last offensive snap in Denver’s comeback win over Buffalo last week. Stidham has not thrown a regular-season pass since 2023. Now he takes over with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
A Choice That Led Back to Denver
Last spring, Stidham entered free agency with options. One of the teams that showed interest was New England, the franchise that drafted him in 2019. Instead, he chose to stay in Denver as Nix’s backup.
“There are always opportunities out there and stuff,’’ Stidham said this week. “But at the end of the day there were a combination of things that went into my decision to come back here. I believe in Sean (head coach Payton) and Davis (QB coach Webb) and Joe (OC Lombardi) and our room. I take a lot of pride in being behind Bo and helping him grow: I felt like over the past two years that I was here I got a lot better.
“I’m very appreciative of New England for giving me a shot in the league, for drafting me. Bill (Belichick) is not there any more, but I know there are front office guys that are still there.’’
That decision now brings Stidham face-to-face with his former team on championship Sunday.
History on the Line
Stidham will become the first quarterback to make his first start of the season in a championship game since Roger Staubach did it for Dallas in the 1972 NFC Championship Game. Washington won that game 26-3. History has not been kind to late-breaking starters, but Denver believes this situation is different.
Payton’s Confidence
Broncos head coach Sean Payton has no doubts about his quarterback.
“He’s a veteran, a real good decision maker, good arm strength,’’ Payton said. “So he’s seeing a real good defense each week. There’s ‘X’ amount of routes teams run. Then it’s putting the plan together accordingly.
“Then there’s his personality. He’s going to rip it. And that’s our approach. He has the calm demeanor that I think suits him well. He’s played in big games in college. I said this at the start of the season. I felt like our No. 2 was inside the best 32 and I think everyone here feels that way.’’
What’s in a Name
Sunday’s championship games bring a fun wrinkle. Two coaches named Sean, Payton and Sean McVay, square off against two coaches named Mike, Mike McDonald and Mike Vrabel.
Only twice have coaches with the same first name met in the Super Bowl. Both times involved Mikes and the Green Bay Packers.
AFC Championship Game
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos, 3 p.m.
This marks Denver’s first AFC Championship Game appearance since 2015. The Broncos are 6-1 at home in championship games and 8-2 overall. They hold a 4-1 postseason edge over New England.
The Patriots enter with plenty of confidence. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye looks to become the fourth New England quarterback to reach a Super Bowl. The Patriots have already beaten two top-five defenses this postseason and now face the third-ranked Broncos unit.
NFC Championship Game
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, 6:30 p.m.
Seattle returns to the championship round for the first time since 2014. The Seahawks stand 3-0 all-time in conference title games.
The Rams and Seahawks split their regular-season meetings, both decided by razor-thin margins. History favors Los Angeles in the postseason, but Sunday offers Seattle a chance to flip that script.
