Stidham's AFC Coup: Inside the 72 Hours That Shook Denver

When Jarrett Stidham walked into Empower Field this afternoon, he wasn’t wearing the standard-issue team tracksuit. He was wearing a cowboy hat, a shearling jacket, and a grin that said he knew something the rest of the world didn’t. (The footage has already done numbers on social, obviously).

To the casual observer, the Denver Broncos are in crisis mode. Losing Bo Nix—the rookie sensation who finally exorcised the post-Manning demons—days before the AFC Championship Game sounds like a death sentence. But if you’ve been paying attention to the whispers coming out of Dove Valley since Tuesday, the mood isn't panic. It's opportunistic.

I spoke to a source close to the offensive staff late last night. Their text was short: "Sean has been waiting to unleash this kid for two years. Watch the play-action."

"People forget Stidham was the only guy Sean Payton went out and personally hand-picked the second he landed in Denver. This isn't a backup plan. In Sean's mind, it's just a different plan." — NFC Scout, via text

The "Ghost" Practices

Here is what didn't make the official injury reports. While Nix was taking the bulk of the reps all season, Stidham has been running a "shadow offense" in practice tailored specifically for high-leverage situations. We're not talking about holding a clipboard. We're talking about simulated two-minute drills against the starting defense where Stidham famously shredded the unit back in August (remember that 143.0 preseason passer rating?).

The narrative that he's "cold" coming off the bench? It’s lazy. The guy has been prepping for the Patriots' defensive scheme—arguably the most complex in the league—since he was in their quarterback room three years ago. He knows their checks. He knows their signals.

The Money Game

Let's talk about the business side, because there is always a business side. Stidham signed a two-year, $12 million extension back in March 2025. At the time, pundits laughed. Why pay a backup that much when you have a rookie on a cheap deal?

This is why. Today is why. If Stidham wins this game, he doesn't just send Denver to the Super Bowl; he likely auditions for a massive starting contract elsewhere this offseason (hello, Giants? Jets?). He is playing for a ring, sure, but he's also playing for a $100 million future. That kind of hunger is dangerous for a defense to face.

The search algorithms are spiking on his name not just because he's the "next man up," but because the smart money is realizing the Broncos might not be the underdogs the spread suggests. Sean Payton loves a chaotic variable. And today, that variable wears a cowboy hat.