Who is Bo Nix’s backup? What to know about Broncos' QB2 entering AFC title game

Denver Broncos fans went from jubilation to deflation in record time following the team's 33-30 overtime playoff victory over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Sean Payton began his postgame press conference with the news that star quarterback Bo Nix, who had just led a game-winning field goal drive in the extra session, will miss the remainder of the season with a fractured ankle suffered on the second-to-last play of the game.

The shocking news means that Denver will be without its 14-win signal caller going into the AFC title game next weekend. Instead, Payton and Co. will have to rely on veteran backup Jarrett Stidham — who hasn't started an NFL game since 2022.

Looking back at Jarrett Stidham's college career

Stidham has been in the NFL since 2019, but he had a rather unusual amateur career to get there. He originally committed to Baylor as a blue-chip recruit out of high school, but only played a single season in 2015 before departing when the program was struck by a sexual abuse scandal and head coach Art Briles was fired.

After spending 2016 at a community college, Stidham transferred to Auburn to resume his career, where he won the starting QB job and began garnering national attention. He led the Tigers to an unlikely SEC West title that featured marquee wins over Georgia and Alabama before his team ultimately fell to the UCF Knights in the 2018 Peach Bowl.

From Tom Brady's understudy to NFL laughingstock, Jarrett Stidham never had it easy

Stidham's modest 7,217 career passing yards and 48 touchdowns in college were nevertheless enough of a sample size for him to decide to forego his final year of eligibility and enter the 2019 NFL Draft. He was selected in the fourth round (No. 133 overall) by the New England Patriots, and immediately became the "break glass in case Tom Brady goes down" option on the sideline.

Despite Brady's departure for Tampa Bay in 2020, Stidham didn't inherit the starting job. New England instead signed former league MVP Cam Newton, and Stidham rarely saw action as a result. A back injury prevented him from competing at the start of the 2021, and when he returned he was relegated to third string behind rookie Mac Jones and backup Brian Hoyer.

After he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders that offseason, Stidham backed up Derek Carr before finally getting his first two NFL starts when Carr was benched to finish the 2022 campaign. Stidham threw for 584 yards, four touchdowns and three picks in two losses.

It was much of the same in the 2023 season after signing with the Broncos. Stidham started the final two games of the year after Russell Wilson was benched by Payton. He threw for 496 yards, two touchdowns and a single INT in that span.

Bo Nix's injury could give Jarrett Stidham his big break

Stidham wasn't needed during the 2024 campaign, in which Nix debuted as the Broncos' QB of the future. Now, though, the team turns to him needing just two victories to claim its first Super Bowl title since 2015.

Some of the greatest Super Bowl stories have featured backup passers who took over when a beloved starter went down with injury. Nick Foles led the Carson Wentz-less Philadelphia Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LII. Kurt Warner forged his Hall of Fame career off Trent Green's preseason injury and earned Super Bowl XXXIV MVP honors. Jeff Hostetler took over late for Phil Simms in 1990 to help the New York Giants squeak out Super Bowl XXV.

Could Stidham add his name to this illustrious list of backups-turned-heroes? With Payton at the helm and a talented roster around him, it's certainly possible. He'll be backed up by former Texas standout Sam Ehlinger, who was inactive for Saturday's Divisional matchup.

Stidham's biggest issue will be ball security. If he avoids turning the ball over, Denver's defense can handle the rest and find a path to victory. Now, the matchups are going to matter big time: If it's the New England Patriots, it'll be tough sledding; if it's the Houston Texans, the dream is very much alive.