This week, the Denver Broncos announced the benching of starting quarterback Russell Wilson for the final two games, turning the offense over to backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
For those of Broncos Country who do not know Stidham, here are five quick facts about the new Broncos QB ahead of his start against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Played his college ball at Auburn, Baylor and community college
Stidham was the No. 1-rated dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school. But he decided to begin playing football at a community college, McLennan Community College before transferring to Baylor in 2015. During his freshman year at Baylor, he threw for 12 touchdowns and 1,265 yards before later finishing his collegiate career at Auburn.
Stidham was drafted by the Patriots
After Stidham’s college career, Stidham was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2019. Stidham was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft, at 133rd overall.
Stidham spent two years in New England, playing in eight games, completing 50 percent of his passes (24-of-48) with two touchdowns and four interceptions.
Stidham spent last season in Las Vegas
In 2022, Stidham spent the year with an AFC West rival, the Las Vegas Raiders. Stidham played in five games, starting two, but went 0-2 in those games. In the games he played in, Stidham went 53-of-83 for 656 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Stidham came to Denver on a two-year contract
In the 2023 offseason, Stidham came to Denver on a two-year deal worth about $10 million, which is notable money for a backup quarterback. Head coach Sean Payton heavily pursued Stidham during free agency, and it seemed like for most of training camp, Stidham may have had a good grasp of Payton’s offense.
Stidham is the 13th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning retired
The Denver Broncos have had a rough string of luck when it comes to the quarterback position. Stidham is just the latest in a string of quarterbacks that have made stops in the Mile High City. It is too soon to tell if Stidham is the answer, but Sunday’s start could be the beginning of a run with Stidham at the helm.
