After benching quarterback Russell Wilson, the Denver Broncos will start Jarrett Stidham against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17.
Stidham, 27, entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick out of Auburn with the New England Patriots in 2019. After sitting behind Tom Brady as a rookie, Stidham failed to beat out Cam Newton (2020) and Mac Jones (2021) for New England’s starting job.
The Patriots traded Stidham to the Las Vegas Raiders last year in a late-round swap of draft picks. He started the Raiders’ final two games last season after Derek Carr was benched, going 45-of-70 passing for 584 yards with four touchdowns against three interceptions in those two contests. The Raiders went 0-2.
Stidham’s rookie contract expired after the 2022 season and the Broncos quickly signed him during free agency. New coach Sean Payton gave Stidham a two-year, $10 million contract that includes a $7 million cap hit in 2024.
“He’s someone who has really good poise,” Payton said of Stidham on Wednesday. “He has really good feet. You see his arm strength and decision making. Take a peek at the 49ers game or take a peek at the Chiefs game with just some of those things we saw. Obviously, we get a chance to see him every day against our defense.”
After hosting the Chargers on Sunday, Denver will face the Raiders on the road in Week 18 to close out the season. If Stidham plays well over the next two weeks, he might be able to make a case for the 2024 starting job.
