Sean Payton and the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/denver-broncos">Denver Broncos</a> have signed a new quarterback following Bo Nix’s ankle injury. According to a report by Adam Schefter, although Jarred Stidham will be the starter in the AFC Championship Game, they will bring in another name at the position.



“Denver Broncos are signing veteran quarterback Ben DiNucci to their practice squad, per source. He rejoins the team he played for two seasons ago.” He joins Sam Ehlinger, who is the other quarterback on the roster.



The Broncos seemed like favorites to reach the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> after defeating the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, but Nix’s injury has changed all of Payton and his staff’s plans.



<h2>Who is Broncos starting quarterback?</h2>



Jarred Stidham will be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. Bo Nix fractured his right ankle in the victory over the Bills and is out for the rest of the season.


 

 


<h2>Who is Broncos backup QB?</h2>



Sam Ehlinger would be the backup quarterback for the Broncos given the current situation with Nix. However, the arrival of DiNucci is clearly to have another QB in case of emergency.


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miniaturas

Jarrett Stidham is poised to start for the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game. This is because unfortunately <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/bo-nix" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bo Nix</a> fractured his ankle. However, the backup is not intimidated by the whole situation.



“I have no doubts that I’m a starting-caliber quarterback in this league,” Stidham said back in 2024. That is the kind of confidence that will make the AFC Championship game a scenario to seize, not to get intimidated by.



<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/sean-payton-issues-strong-warning-about-broncos-qb-job-with-bo-nix-injured" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sean Payton also warned the rest of the NFL on Stidham’s potential to lead the team</a>. Hence, while not having Nix is a setback, the team is locked and ready to roll with Stidham, and it also seems like the quarterback is ready to go too.



<h2>Stidham needs help from the run game</h2>



The running game must be effective for <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/jarrett-stidham" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stidham</a> to thrive. If not, he will be compromised. However, RJ Harvey only had 540 rushing yards this season. While he showed flashes of talent, the fact is he averaged 3.7 yards per carry. If he is not able to establish a running game, Stidham might need to risk more than what the team is willing him to do.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/13110311/rj-harvey-1920x1080.webp" alt="RJ Harvey #12 of the Denver Broncos" class="wp-image-525922"></figure><figcaption>RJ Harvey #12 of the Denver Broncos</figcaption></figure>



There is also the fact that the playcall must change. Bo Nix led the NFL in pass attempts this season. So, unless <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/sean-payton" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Payton</a> puts his money where his mouth is and lets Stidham rip it, the head coach must adjust and go into a more run-oriented gameplan.


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<h2>Stidham will be defying odds</h2>



According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Jarrett Stidham will be the second QB to make his first start of the season in a Conference Championship Game. The other was Roger Staubach, and he was blown out 26-3 by Washington. Hence, Stidham is backed against a wall here.



Also, Stidham has only four career starts. This is the fewest number by any QB entering a Conference Championship start in NFL history. The fact that the Broncos rely on someone with so little <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NFL</a> experience, but at the same time watch how both the QB and HC have insane confidence makes this a hugely intriguing situation.

Jarrett Stidham’s warning to rest of the NFL resurfaces after Broncos lose Bo Nix to injury

Jarrett Stidham's warning to rest of the NFL resurfaces after Broncos lose Bo Nix to injury - Bolavip US

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: <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/what-happened-to-bo-nix-and-who-is-broncos-backup-qb-on-the-depth-chart-for-2026-nfl-playoffs">Bo Nix got injured, leaving backup quarterback</a> 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, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/jarrett-stidham">Stidham</a> 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 <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/denver-broncos">Broncos</a>, 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.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/18112441/bo-nix-and-jarrett-stidham-1920x1080.webp" alt="Bo Nix (left) and Jarrett Stidham walking into the field." class="wp-image-564370"></figure><figcaption>Bo Nix (left) and Jarrett Stidham walking into the field.</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Comparing Nix and Stidham’s playing time in Denver</h2>



Even though their contracts may not look that different since <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/bo-nix">Nix</a> is just getting started as a pro, the playing time each quarterback has seen in the last two seasons does show a significant contrast.


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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 <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/sean-payton-issues-strong-warning-about-broncos-qb-job-with-bo-nix-injured">Sean Payton warning the rest of the league that the Broncos QB job</a> is in safe hands. To be fair, Stidham has been in the NFL for a while now.



<h2>Stidham’s NFL stats</h2>



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.

Jarrett Stidham’s contract: How much does the Broncos backup QB make compared to Bo Nix?

Jarrett Stidham's contract: How much does the Broncos backup QB make compared to Bo Nix? - Bolavip US

The <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/denver-broncos" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Denver Broncos</a> won an OT thriller against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. What otherwise would be an incredible moment was then absolutely struck by disaster as Sean Payton announced quarterback <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/bo-nix">Bo Nix</a> fractured his ankle and is out of the NFL Playoffs. However, the head coach is still confident.



The <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/what-happened-to-bo-nix-and-who-is-broncos-backup-qb-on-the-depth-chart-for-2026-nfl-playoffs">Broncos QB depth chart took a hit without Nix</a> but Payton isn’t accepting defeat just yet. “In fairness to what you’ve seen, which is very limited, he’s ready. He’s ready,” Payton said about Jarrett Stidham. “I’ve said this at the beginning of the season, I feel like I have a [No.] 2 [quarterback] that’s capable of starting for a handful of, a number of teams. I know he feels the same way. So watch out. Just watch.”



Payton said at the beginning of the year that he thought he had a Super Bowl roster and they are one game away. Also, Payton really trusts in his backup so much that <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/jarrett-stidhams-contract-how-much-does-the-broncos-backup-qb-make-compared-to-bo-nix">Stidham’s contract</a> makes him one of the highest-paid QB2s in the NFL, bagging $6 million a year.



<h2>Is Stidham capable of guiding the team?</h2>



Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass since Russell Wilson was on the Broncos. That’s two years ago. However, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/sean-payton" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Payton</a> does think Stidham is good. Not only did Payton say Stidham could be the starter for a handful of teams, he also then said, “And listen, ‘Stiddy’ is ready, and we’ll be ready for the next challenge.” 



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The play Bo Nix supposedly broke his RIGHT ankle on. The defender didn’t make any contact with the right leg or ankle. Non-contact broken ankle? <a href="https://t.co/w7JJ52TrmX">pic.twitter.com/w7JJ52TrmX</a>— Ethan Culver (@ethanlculver) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethanlculver/status/2012741040986304825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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It’s not the first time <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/broncos-provide-crucial-update-to-bo-nix-on-two-key-teammates-ahead-of-2026-nfl-playoffs">the Broncos have had to provide crucial updates on key players</a>. However, this is by far and away the most important one given the fact that it’s on the quarterback position. The Broncos will host the AFC Championship game, but even with that, it will be an upside hill.


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<h2>Broncos will have to revive the running game</h2>



With <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/jarrett-stidham">Stidham</a> under center, the Broncos must feel like they need to run the ball rather than to make their quarterback throw it 35 times. Howeves, since the middle of December, the Broncos have ran for more than 116 yards just once.



The Bills had one of the most vulnerable run defenses in the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NFL</a>, and the Broncos only ran 70 yards on them, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. Now, Payton must look heavily into reviving that part of the offense to not put pressure on Stidham.

Sean Payton issues strong warning about Broncos QB job with Bo Nix injured

Sean Payton issues strong warning about Broncos QB job with Bo Nix injured - Bolavip US

For the first time in a while, the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/nfl-teams-ranked-by-fan-support-on-social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Broncos</a> were hopeful about their quarterback when the team traded for Russell Wilson last year. However, it’s safe to say his first season in the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/Every-NFL-stadium-ranked-from-worst-to-first-20200514-0001.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mile High City</a> left a lot to be desired.
Denver hopes to turn this situation around and that’s why they hired <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/sports/25-highest-paid-coaches-in-american-sports-20211215-0031.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sean Payton</a>. Apart from leading the New Orleans Saints to their first ever <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/25-Legendary-NFL-Super-Bowl-MVPs--20230126-0009.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Super Bowl</a> triumph, he proved to get the most out of his quarterbacks.
After all, the Broncos have already given Wilson a long-term contract, so they need to make the financial effort worth it. While Payton knows this will be an important task, he also believes JarrettStidham has the potential to become a starter.
<h2>Sean Payton believes Broncos’ backup QB Jarrett Stidham can become an NFL starter</h2>
“I think he’s young, but I think he’s someone that we had a good grade on coming out,” Payton said, via ProFootballTalk. “We like the player. I think he played well in the two starts he had this year. If you study closely the San Francisco game, he’s smart at the line of scrimmage.
“There were a handful of No. 2s that I had worked with or we felt comfortable with, but in this case I think it’s a No. 2 that his arrow is moving in a direction where we think he can become an NFL starter. So the evaluation was pretty crystal clear for all of us. I think he’s going to be someone who’s great in the room. He’s smart. So quietly that was an important signing for us.”
The Broncos originally signed Stidham to backup Wilson, but his contract runs through 2024 as well. Stidham has already benched Derek Carr in Las Vegas late last year, so he knows what it’slike to win the starting job.
 
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