Hi, everyone! My name is Ryland Scholes and I’m the production manager and a reporter with Bucket List Community News. Welcome back to our new Bucket Listicle newsletter, where, every Tuesday, we share some of our favorite facts about the happenings around Denver.
Wow, what a weekend we just experienced. On Saturday, the Broncos bested the Buffalo Bills by a final score of 33-30 in overtime, punching their ticket to the AFC Championship Game. Denver fans were elated postgame, with the Broncos only one win away from heading to their first Super Bowl since 2015, but the vibes took a quick turn for the worst.
An hour after the final whistle, Broncos head coach Sean Payton took the podium in front of media members to announce that quarterback Bo Nix, who played an amazing game against the Bills, broke a bone in his ankle on the second to last play of overtime. The broken bone requires surgery to fix, meaning Nix is out for the remainder of the season.
That’s undoubtedly a hard pill to swallow for Broncos fans, but the season isn’t over yet. This Sunday against the New England Patriots, back-up quarterback Jarrett Stidham will fill in for Nix with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
As Broncos fans search for all the info they can on Stidham, we’ve gathered some facts about this weekend’s starting quarterback so fans can know a bit more about him when he takes the field against the Patriots on Sunday afternoon.
1:) He’s not your typical playoff starter
Needless to say, the Broncos are in an extremely unique situation and Stidham is at the center of that storm. After sitting behind Bo Nix all season and recording no pass attempts, Stidham will take the reins of the Broncos offense on Sunday, looking to make history.
Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass in an NFL game since January 2025 and hasn’t started since January 2024. He is looking to make the most of his opportunity and do the improbable by sending the Broncos to the Super Bowl in his first meaningful playing time of the entire season.
The good news is that teams have won in similar positions before. Most recently, Philadelphia Eagles back-up quarterback Nick Foles led his team to a Super Bowl victory in 2017, over the Patriots no less. Since 1950, only one quarterback has made his first start of the season and won, being Buffalo’s Frank Reich in 1992, when he led the Bills on the largest comeback in NFL Playoff history against the Houston Oilers.
Stidham now looks to join the likes of Foles and Reich as playoff heroes in the face of adversity.
2:) He’s a family man
Stidham, 29, is married to Kennedy Stidham. The couple met at Baylor University in Waco, Texas in 2015. The two were both student athletes at the time, as Kennedy played women’s soccer for the Bears. The couple eventually tied the knot in 2019. Since then, they’ve welcomed three children to Broncos Country.
Kennedy publicly sent her support for Nix as he recovers, posting a photo with the emphatic message “Do it for Bo” on her Instagram story on Sunday.
3:) He has ties to the competition
Stidham is very familiar with the competition on the opposite sideline, as he started his NFL career with the Patriots.
After being selected by Bill Belichick and the Pats with the 133rd overall draft pick in 2019, Stidham was brought to New England to be the potential heir to the legendary Tom Brady at quarterback. That’s not exactly how things played out, as Stidham only threw three passes as a Patriot, one of which was an interception, before being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.
Granted, the Patriots have changed a lot since Stidham’s three seasons in Foxborough, as Brady and Belichick are both no longer with the organization. Still, he’s familiar with the organization and the “The Patriot Way,” which could be a useful asset to employ against New England’s defense on Sunday.
4:) He has limited experience starting
Stidham’s NFL resume doesn’t jump off the page at first glance. Across six seasons, he’s made just four career starts and appearances in 20 games, bouncing between roles as a developmental quarterback, a trusted backup and a steady presence in quarterback rooms across the league.
But that experience, limited as it may be, has come alongside some of the game’s sharpest football minds. From his early years learning in New England with Belichick and Brady, to time spent in systems that demanded preparation and adaptability like Sean Payton’s, Stidham has built a reputation as someone who is always ready when his name is called. Sunday won’t be about how many starts he’s made. It’ll be about how well he’s prepared for this one.
5:) The Broncos believe in him
Perhaps the most important thing working in Stidham’s favor prior to Sunday’s game is the belief in him inside the Broncos’ building. Head coach Sean Payton has repeatedly emphasized Stidham’s command of the offense, his professionalism and his ability to step in and run the system without panic.
After the Bills game, Payton even said that he believes that Stidham is one of the NFL’s best back-ups and is better than a handful of the starting quarterbacks around the league. That’s a big vote of confidence to hear come from Payton, especially considering his super serious, no nonsense demeanor.
If Payton thinks that Stidham is good to go and gives the Broncos a chance to win, that’s all I needed to hear. Denver’s got your back on Sunday, Stiddy.
Stidham and the Broncos will take on the Patriots at 1:00 p.m. local on Sunday, and all of us in Broncos Country are riding with them all the way. We’ll see you next Tuesday for another Bucket Listcle, hopefully after a Broncos win this weekend. Go Broncos!
Do you have a listicle in mind? Any ideas can be sent to ryland.c.scholes@gmail.com. And don’t forget to check out our events calendar on our website to see what else is happening in our area.
See you next Tuesday with another Bucket Listicle.
Ryland Scholes
Production Manager and Reporter/ Bucket List Community News
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