Jarret Stidham represents one of those “what if” stories that abound in American football. Drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft (pick 133 overall), Stidham arrived as a promise from Auburn University, where he had accumulated 5,952 passing yards and 36 touchdowns in two seasons. At the time, with Tom Brady approaching 42 and showing signs of decline, many analysts and scouts saw Stidham as the ideal successor. His strong arm, accuracy on intermediate passes and mobility positioned him as a modern QB prototype. In the 2019 preseason, he impressed by going 42 of 62 for 506 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions, leading experts like NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah to praise him as one of the strongest arms in the draft. Former Pats scout Jim Nagy publicly called him Brady's “heir apparent,” and NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran wrote that the stars were aligning for his promotion. Stidham chose the number 4 on his jersey, a nod to his ambition, and spent three seasons as a backup in New England (2019-2021), appearing in eight games with a modest 270 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
However, the reality was different. Brady left New England in 2020 for Tampa Bay, and the Pats turned to Cam Newton as a bridge, followed by Mac Jones in 2021. Stidham never nailed the starting role, accumulating just 270 yards in his time there. In 2022, he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for a sixth round, where he played as a backup to Derek Carr and then Jimmy Garoppolo, with a brief stint as a starter (two games, 656 yards, four TDs and three INTs). In 2023, he signed with Denver as Russell Wilson's backup, and after the arrival of Bo Nix in 2024, he remained on the bench until this postseason. His career, with an AV (Approximate Value) of 6 in seven seasons, has been that of a solid but not stellar journeyman. Now, at 29 years old, Stidham leads a Broncos (13-4) that surprised with an elite defense (58 sacks on the season) and a conservative attack, averaging 22.4 points per game under Sean Payton.
