The Denver Broncos secured a long-awaited return to the AFC Championship Game in 2026, but their Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills came at a cost: Bo Nix got injured, leaving backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham as the next man up.
Originally moving to the Mile High City on a two-year, $10 million deal to be Russell Wilson’s backup in 2023, Stidham remained a backup when the Broncos drafted Nix in 2024 but still earned an extension in 2025.
Stidham is currently on a two-year, $12 million contract with the Broncos, seeing him hold an average annual salary of $6 million in a deal that includes almost $7 million guaranteed as well as a $3 million signing bonus.
Nix, on the other hand, is still on his rookie contract, finishing the second season of a four-year, $18.6 million deal signed after being selected by Denver out of Oregon with the No. 12 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Bo Nix (left) and Jarrett Stidham walking into the field.
Comparing Nix and Stidham’s playing time in Denver
Even though their contracts may not look that different since Nix is just getting started as a pro, the playing time each quarterback has seen in the last two seasons does show a significant contrast.
see also
Steelers could hire shocking Super Bowl champion head coach to replace Mike Tomlin and keep Aaron Rodgers as QB in 2026
While Nix has started all 17 regular season games for the Broncos both in 2024 and 2025, in addition to two playoff appearances in total, Stidham only has four appearances combined with no pass attempts in the last two seasons.
Stidham’s lone snap in 2025 was a kneeldown to finish a game in October. His last pass during a regular-season game came in 2023, when he started the final two games of the campaign after the Broncos decided to bench Wilson.
Even so, Stidham has all the confidence he needs from his head coach, with Sean Payton warning the rest of the league that the Broncos QB job is in safe hands. To be fair, Stidham has been in the NFL for a while now.
Stidham’s NFL stats
The 29-year-old, however, has seen little action in seven years as a pro. After three years with no starts on the New England Patriots, Stidham’s first NFL start came late in 2022 when the Las Vegas Raiders benched Derek Carr.
Overall, his record as a starter in the NFL is 1-3, having completed 117 of 197 passes for 1,422 yards for eight touchdowns and as many interceptions, in addition to 37 carries for 101 yards. On the flip side, Stidham was sacked 19 times and had four fumbles, including one for loss.
The Broncos don’t seem to have much of an option but to rely on Stidham though, and it might be his chance to prove why he’s been part of Payton’s roster all these years. With a Super Bowl appearance just one win away, this could be the biggest story of the 2026 NFL playoffs.
