The Denver Broncos are banking on backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham to lead them to a Super Bowl championship after starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending fracture in his right ankle during last week's AFC divisional round victory over the Buffalo Bills.

It's a scenario that has worked before. Jeff Hostetler led the New York Giants to a Super Bowl victory in 1990, and Nick Foles did the same with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017—both filling in for injured starters late in their respective seasons.

Patriots Expect No Problem from Stidham

The Broncos' AFC Championship Game opponent, the New England Patriots, doesn't view Stidham's sudden prominence as a competitive advantage.

"I don't know if it's so much the challenge of that he hasn't played in a while, more than just the whole team as a challenge. He's very capable of being a starting quarterback," Patriots inside linebackers coach and defensive playcaller Zak Kuhr said Thursday. "He could be the starter for a number of teams."

Kuhr praised Stidham's abilities, noting his athleticism, arm strength, accuracy, and mobility. "Very talented, athletic, smart. He can run better than what most people think. Strong arm, very accurate," Kuhr said. "But I don't think it brings some added level of difficulty as far as preparing for it."

Stidham's Path to the Spotlight

Stidham's NFL journey has been circuitous. The Patriots drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft after he starred as Auburn's starting quarterback from 2017-18 and played one season at Baylor in 2015.

At Auburn, Stidham averaged 2,976 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and a 144.4 passer rating per season while completing 63.6% of his passes.

In the NFL, Stidham spent three seasons with the Patriots (2019-21), one season with the Las Vegas Raiders (2022), and joined Denver in 2023. He has made four career starts and 20 total appearances—two starts for Las Vegas in 2022 and two for Denver in 2023.

Notably, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels previously worked with Stidham as the Patriots' offensive coordinator (2019-21) and later as head coach of the Raiders in 2022. McDaniels described Stidham as "smart" and "accurate."

Denver's Fall from Grace

The Broncos earned the AFC's No. 1 seed this season with a 14-3 record. Nix, in just his second NFL season, threw for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 63.4% of his passes. He also added 356 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

The AFC Championship Game kicks off Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in Denver.