Jarrett Stidham could’ve been playing for the New England Patriots right now.
Instead, he makes the biggest start of his football life as the QB for the Denver Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against those Pats.
Stidham was a New England draft pick, but he never got much of a shot there.
Now, with Bo Nix out injured, Stidham is Denver’s new starter this week. He hasn’t thrown a pass outside of the preseason since 2023, but now he’ll be throwing them with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line.
The whole story could’ve been different if the Patriots had given Stidham more of a chance.
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When did the Patriots draft Jarrett Stidham?
The Patriots drafted Stidham in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
He was the No. 133 overall pick.
The best three players picked in that particular fourth round, all before Stidham was chosen, were Maxx Crosby, Tony Pollard and Drue Tranquill.
The next QB off the board after Stidham, nearly a round later, was Easton Stick.
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Why did the Patriots get rid of Jarrett Stidham?
Stidham was never given much of a chance to play in New England, for a couple reasons.
When he showed up, it was still Tom Brady’s team, so that was never an opportunity.
But when Brady left before the 2020 season, the Pats could’ve given Stidham a chance.
Instead, Bill Belichick brought in Cam Newton to lead the Patriots to an underwhelming 7-9 season.
Stidham attempted 46 passes in his first two seasons with New England, then didn’t play at all in 2021.
He was traded to the Raiders in May 2022 and made two starts there, throwing for 656 yards and four touchdowns.
He signed with the Broncos in free agency before the 2023 season and went 1-1 in two starts for Russell Wilson that year.
He hasn’t thrown a pass in the regular season the past two years backing up Nix.
Now, Stidham gets the chance to prove himself in front of a huge national audience.
