Patriots coach: Jarrett Stidham could start on a ‘number of teams’ in NFL

New England Patriots

“I enjoyed working with him. I enjoyed my time with him. I’m sure he’ll be ready to go this week for sure.”

FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots might be wading into enemy territory on Sunday when they take on the Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. 

But the latest odds still have New England tabbed as 4.5-point favorites in the AFC championship game — due in large part to the Broncos’ QB situation. 

While Denver is still bolstered by an elite defensive unit, Bo Nix’s season-ending injury suffered last week vs. Buffalo means that the Broncos must turn to backup QB Jarrett Stidham with a trip to Super Bowl LX on the line. 

Sunday’s showdown with New England will stand as the first time Stidham will attempt a pass in an NFL game outside the preseason since 2023. 

But even with just four career NFL starts on his resume, Stidham is a player that New England’s coaching staff isn’t overlooking as they try to move on to Santa Clara for a shot at a championship. 

“I don’t know if it’s so much the challenge of that he hasn’t played in a while, more than just the whole team as a challenge,” Patriots interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr said Thursday. “He’s very capable of being a starting quarterback. 

“He could be the starter for a number of teams. Very talented, athletic, smart. He can run better than what most people think. Strong arm, very accurate. You watch this film. But I don’t think it brings some added level of difficulty as far as preparing for it.”

Stidham hasn’t exactly impressed when handed NFL regular-season reps in his career. 

Stidham is 1-3 in four career NFL starts (two for Raiders, two for Broncos in 2023) — completing 117 of 197 passes as a pro for 1,422 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels should already have an extensive book on Stidham, given the multiple times that they’ve crossed paths in the NFL.

McDaniels was still in Foxborough in his previous stint as New England’s OC when the Patriots drafted Stidham out of Auburn in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. When McDaniels was the head coach of the Raiders (2022-23), Stidham appeared in five games for Vegas. 

Even if New England holds a decisive edge at quarterback entering Sunday’s game, McDaniels echoed a similar message as Khur when it came to Stidham’s credentials. 

“Smart. Accurate. A great human being,” McDaniels said. “Worked hard. A great teammate. Just hasn’t had an opportunity based on situations and those kinds of things. I enjoyed working with him. I enjoyed my time with him. I’m sure he’ll be ready to go this week for sure.”

New England has to like its chances with Drake Maye at QB on Sunday. Still, Mike Vrabel acknowledged that the Patriots could utilize McDaniels’ knowledge of Stidham in order to craft an effective game plan for Sunday. 

“I mean, I think every week we try to use every resource that we have at our disposal,” New England’s head coach said Wednesday. “Josh coached him a couple years ago. So, anything that we have that we can use to help us, we’ll try.”

 

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