Jarrett Stidham has twice been denied the opportunity to become a full-time starter in the NFL, but the opportunity of a lifetime awaits in the AFC championship game. Once thought to be the frontrunner to start for the after Tom Brady's exit, Stidham slipped on the depth chart when Bill Belichick reversed course and signed Cam Newton in 2020. Four years later, he entered training camp as the in-house leader of a three-way competition to start for the but settled for a backup role after an impre sive summer by Bo Nix. With Nix suffering a devastating ankle fracture in the divisional round, Stidham will take his turn with a chance to take the Broncos to the Super Bowl -- and he will do so more than two years after his last NFL pa s. Here's a look back at the last time Stidham played in an NFL game. MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFF NEWS: What was Jarrett Stidham's last pa s in the NFL? Most NFL teams can expect to use at least two quarterbacks in a season thanks to injuries, but the Broncos have been exceptionally fortunate over the last two seasons. Not only did Nix never mi s a start, but Stidham never even had to throw a pa s in any game between 2024 and 2025. That means Stidham's last regular season pa s came on Jan. 7, 2024, when he closed out the 2013 season with a Week 18 lo s to the . The pa s itself was intercepted by Tre'von Moehrig to effectively end the game, though the Broncos trailed by two po se sions at that point in a game that didn't matter for either team. 749 days later, Stidham will throw some of the most important pa ses of his life as he tries to take the Broncos to Super Bowl 60 with Nix sidelined. MORE: Why did the Broncos bench Ru sell Wilson? Half of Stidham's four NFL starts came with the Broncos in 2023, after Ru sell Wilson was benched by Denver. Wilson had a bit of a bounce-back season with the Broncos in 2023, throwing for 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 15 starts after a difficult 2022, but a Christmas Eve lo s to the dismal New England Patriots unofficially ended Denver's playoff hopes Markus Naslund Jersey . At that point, Sean Payton who inherited Wilson when he was hired was set on moving on from Wilson in the offseason. With next to nothing to play for, the Broncos benched Wilson to prevent an injury that would guarantee another part of his ma sive contract. Ironically, Stidham briefly became the starter in Las Vegas under the same circumstances a year earlier when the Raiders were prepared to move on from Derek Carr. Stidham was Denver's backup, and he was named the starter for the final two games of the season, going 1-1 with a win over the struggling and a lo s to the Raiders. MORE: When was the last time Jarrett Stidham played in an NFL game? Stidham hasn't thrown a pa s since Week 18 of the 2023 season. Since then, he has played 18 snaps without attempting a pa s. For a well-paid backup who has been in the NFL for seven years, Stidham simply hasn't played very much. For comparison's sake, he has made as many starts in seven seasons as Brady Cook made in his rookie season with the . Here's a look at perhaps Stidham's best performance, when he and the Raiders nearly upset the : Ive watched Jarrett Stidham in every Broncos training camp practice for the last 3 summers. This guy is no bum. Probably a top-5 backup. Hell give Denver a shot. Also, dont forget why Sean Payton originally signed him. It was his performance in 2022 vs NFLs top defense Zach Bye (@byesline) The Broncos' belief is Stidham is one of the NFL's better backups, and they pay him like it. At $6 million per year, Stidham is one of the league's highest-paid backups. He looked capable in brief stints as a starter with the Raiders and Broncos, which validated Denver's confidence, but there's no doubt Stidham enters the AFC championship as a great unknown after two years on the sideline. MORE: Jarrett Stidham stats Season Team Starts Record Comp. rate Yards TD INT 2019 Patriots 0 0-0 50.0% 14 0 1 2020 Patriots 0 0-0 50.0% 256 2 3 2021 Patriots 0 0-0 2022 Raiders 2 0-2 63.9% 656 4 3 2023 Broncos 2 1-1 60.6% 496 2 1 2024 Broncos 0 0-0 2025 Broncos 0 0-0 Career 4 1-3 59.4% 1,422 8 8 Stidham has thrown for eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in his career, but he was more efficient in his four starts between the Raiders and Broncos than he was in his limited relief action with the Patriots at the start of his career. Despite middling career stats, the Broncos believe Stidham is well prepared to take over the offense in Nix's absence. Jean Pronovost Jersey