Peter Schrager says the Denver Broncos were high on Jarrett Stidham when they first signed him in 2023.
“Free agency comes [during] Sean Payton’s first year in Denver, [and] he has a big board in his office, listing out his priorities,” ESPN’s Schraeger explained on Bill Simmons’ January 23 podcast, adding that the Denver Broncos had to work around $85 million in dead cap after buying out Russell Wilson after the 2023 season.
“The first name on [Peyton’s] list,” Schrager said, “is Jarrett Stidham.”
Stidham only has one career win and lost the lone playoff game he started against the New England Patriots on Sunday. He’s played 20 games in six seasons, compiling a 1-3 record while throwing for 1,422 yards, with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Nothing about his numbers indicates that he’s on the verge of a late-career breakout. Still, almost everyone loves him behind the scenes. Longtime Patriots safety Devin McCourty told Schrager that Stidham, New England’s fourth-round pick in 2019, believed he was the best quarterback in the NFL.
“[McCourty] loved it because [Stidham is] on the scout team that whole season,” said Schrager, “and he’s talking s— to all the defensive players.”
Stidham is a handsome, self-assured career backup whom Bill Belichick took in the middle rounds. Sound familiar?
Given Kevin O’Connell’s connection to New England, it’s only natural that he’s thought about Stidham as a veteran option to back up J.J. McCarthy next year. Stidham would be a more creative solution than signing a fortysomething quarterback like Aaron Rodgers or Joe Flacco. He’d cost less than Mac Jones, embody more promise than Jimmy Garoppolo, and wouldn’t be a reclamation project like Anthony Richardson.
Former (and current) Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels loved Stidham so much that he brought him to Sin City when the Las Vegas Raiders hired him as their head coach in 2022. Stidham’s best performance came in Week 16 of that season. He went 23 of 34 for 365 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34-27 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“We have a young player,” Payton told The Athletic regarding Denver’s decision to sign Stidham, 29, in 2023, “and I think there’s certain players we saw in free agency, can they come in and play and start? Yes, I think you get that with Jarrett, but I also think you get a player who is still ascending.
“If you watch the 49ers game … that’s impressive against a good defense. [Stidham] was a priority for us, quietly.”
Stidham’s price may have gone up after he made a playoff start. Stidham went 17 of 31 for 133 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Those aren’t stats like he put up against the Niners in 2022. Still, Drake Maye was only 10 for 21 for 86 yards in a defensive battle that took place in a Denver blizzard. Nobody should be questioning his standing as one of the league’s best quarterbacks.
It’s hard to assess Stidham’s AFC Championship game performance accurately. He completed 17 of 31 passes for 133 yards, with a touchdown, a pick, and a fumble. Nothing about that indicates he should be a priority for the Vikings in the offseason. Still, Stidham offers enough to warrant a call.
The most challenging thing about assessing Stidham’s play against New England is that he was at his best on the scripted second drive. Each team scripts its first 15 plays, and Stidham led the Broncos on a five-play, 59-yard touchdown drive on Denver’s second possession.
His 52-yard pass to Marvin Mims had to have caught O’Connell’s attention:
Stidham also threw off his back foot on the run on his touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton:
Still, he played his best football on the scripted drives. It’s difficult to know whether the blizzard or playoff pressure alone slowed Stidham down as the game progressed. Ultimately, his discombobulated fumble that allowed the Patriots to tie the game in the second quarter soured the goodwill he built up in the game’s first 15 minutes.
Stidham won’t be Minnesota’s first call in the offseason. The Vikings should do everything they can to try to land Joe Burrow. If they can’t land him and aren’t confident J.J. McCarthy can win them games next year, they’ll have to overpay for Mac Jones. And if Kevin O’Connell really believes in Anthony Richardson, he might take him on as a reclamation project.
But, absent those situations, the Vikings are looking for a quality backup if McCarthy hits a rut or gets injured again. Stidham isn’t as old as Joe Flacco, and he doesn’t come with Aaron Rodgers’ baggage. Minnesota is more familiar with Carson Wentz, but his hero-ball tendencies hamper his ability to be a reliable backup.
Jarrett Stidham likely wouldn’t overtake J.J. McCarthy as Minnesota’s intended starter. Still, he may be a quality backup in his prime who Kevin O’Connell can maximize by tweaking his game. If that’s who the Vikings are targeting in the offseason, it means they’re in good shape after a lost year.
