The task presented to Jarrett Stidham in Sunday's AFC Championship Game is monumental.
His coach and Broncos teammates believe he's built for the moment.
"I have no doubt in my mind that Jarrett is gonna be ready to go play," Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton said Wednesday. "If there's a guy that prepares as well as Bo [Nix], it's him. He goes in and knows the entire playbook. He knows everything that needs to be done for us to go out there and have success."
The Broncos' backup quarterback is facing a challenge most understudies don't encounter in their careers: Lead the team for which he hasn't started a game this season to the Super Bowl. It's a scenario teams attempt to prepare for but hope to never see come to fruition, but it's Denver's current reality after Nix suffered a season-ending ankle fracture in the Broncos' Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills.
In coach Sean Payton's mind, it's a position of advantage for Denver. He believes if Stidham remains true to himself in his performance, the Broncos' planning will pay off.
"That's his personality. He's gonna rip it, you know?" Payton said. "That'll be our approach. He's got this calm demeanor that I think suits him well. He's played in big games (in) college. You know, I said this at the start of the season, I felt like our two was inside the best 32. I think everyone feels that way, but that's why that signing was important. And you don't know when it's happening but I'm glad it happened."
To Stidham's credit, he certainly seemed calm and confident when speaking with reporters Wednesday. With his wet, curly hair spilling out of the back of his Broncos-branded cap, an unfazed Stidham answered questions with the demeanor of an established professional.
Denver will hope he operates similarly Sunday against the New England Patriots.
"Yeah, I think every week – going back to when I was backing up Russ(ell Wilson), I've prepared the same very single week like I am the starter," Stidham said. "Obviously, it hasn't been that way minus two weeks. So, my preparation hasn't changed one bit. And yeah, that's just kind of how I view it."
The 29-year-old Stidham was a 2019 fourth-round pick of the Patriots and was also with the Las Vegas Raiders before joining the Broncos. He's in his third season in Payton's offense, but has not started since Week 18 of the 2023 campaign when he'd been named the team's starter upon the benching of Wilson.
Stidham appeared in just one game during this past regular season, which came in a Week 8 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys. He threw no passes and played four snaps. He hasn't thrown an official pass since Week 18 of the 2023 season in his aforementioned previous start.
Some elements are working in Stidham's favor. New England doesn't have any tape of Stidham beyond his preseason performances (which were excellent).
He's spent so much time in the shadows, he can still live life normally, even going unrecognized during a shopping trip to Target with his kids this week.
He's also gained plenty of support from Broncos fans who likely understand their last hope of watching their team return to the Super Bowl for the first time in 10 years rests on his shoulders.
"I'm actually not on social media at the moment, but I have had multiple people send me the LeBron meme with the headphones and the sunglasses," Stidham said. "So, that I guess that's pretty funny but it's great. Broncos Country, in my opinion, arguably the best fan base in sports. I'm really excited to get out there in front of them. And it's been a long time since this game has been played here. I know they'll be rocking on Sunday."
If Stidham delivers in a fashion unseen since Nick Foles led the Eagles to a Super Bowl LII triumph over the Patriots in the 2017 season, his anonymous life will become a thing of the past. It's a sacrifice he'd likely welcome if it meant he helped his Broncos realize their ultimate goal -- and a result that wouldn't shock his teammates, even after their lost their leader in Nix.
"It was one of those things that's a quick transition. You're sad and then you have to realize that we still have a job to go do," Sutton said. "You know that the guys that are going to be out there are qualified to do what they do. Jarrett is qualified. He's had success in the NFL, going out and playing games. He's a very, very talented guy in terms of football IQ and just football ability."
Stidham will receive a high-profile chance to prove Sutton right in front of a national audience Sunday.
