Celtics’ Derrick White is picking Broncos over Patriots in AFC championship game

Boston Celtics

“They got a lot of Patriots fans around here, but I’m holding it down for Denver.”

By Conor Ryan

January 19, 2026 | 6:37 PM

2 minutes to read

Derrick White plays for the Boston Celtics. 

But, the Colorado native isn’t losing faith in his hometown teams, even as a banged-up Broncos team gets set to take on the Patriots in the AFC championship game on Sunday. 

While a win for Denver would snuff out New England’s Cinderella season and end their shot to play in Super Bowl LX, White reaffirmed his faith in the Broncos going into Sunday’s showdown at Empower Field at Mile High. 

“I like the Broncos,” White told reporters in Michigan on Monday. “I don’t know how they’re going to win, but they’re going to win. It’s in Denver. New England has struggled in Denver in the past. It’ll be a good game.”

White is correct that Denver has traditionally been a house of horrors for New England in the playoffs. 

During Tom Brady’s two-decade run of dominance in New England, the Patriots had several promising Super-Bowl runs squandered after making the trek out to Colorado.

Brady was 0-3 in his career during playoff games at Mile High, losing to Jake Plummer in January 2006 before falling to Peyton Manning in both the 2013 and 2015 AFC title games. 

Still, the 2025 Patriots have a lot working in their favor entering Sunday’s matchup. Beyond New England’s perfect 8-0 showing on the road this season, the Broncos will have to get the better of a motivated Patriots defense without starting QB Bo Nix.

Nix has been a key factor in Denver’s run to 14 regular-season wins and the No. 1 seed in the AFC this year, with the second-year QB orchestrating eight game-winning drives for the Broncos already this season. 

But, the athletic signal-caller is now on the shelf for the remainder of the year. Broncos head coach Sean Payton announced after Saturday’s playoff overtime win over the Bills that Nix broke a bone in his ankle on one of the final plays of the game. 

With Nix sidelined, the Broncos now have to turn to former Patriots backup QB Jarrett Stidham in hopes of beating New England on Sunday. 

The AFC title game will stand as the first time that Stidham will attempt a pass in an NFL game outside the preseason since 2023, with the 29-year-old QB posting just one win in four career NFL starts.

Given Denver’s QB situation and the Patriots’ success away from Gillette Stadium, New England is currently tabbed as 5.5-point favorites for Sunday’s game. 

Still, White is keeping the faith that the Broncos can be the team that can put an end to New England’s turnaround campaign. 

“They got a lot of Patriots fans around here, but I’m holding it down for Denver,” White said. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions. But Jarrett Stidham, I’ve been watching highlights. I’m positive with it right now, so it should be a good game.”

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.