News of quarterback Bo Nix's fractured ankle cast a pall over the Denver Broncos' overtime triumph on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round.
Two days later, one of Denver's best in the trenches has no doubts Jarrett Stidham can sub in and brighten the Broncos' fortunes in the upcoming AFC Championship Game versus the New England Patriots.
"He's more prepared than anybody would be in this situation and he can ball," right tackle Mike McGlinchey said of Stidham on Monday, per The Athletic's Nick Kosmider. "He can flat out play quarterback. I have no doubt he'll go and play his butt off."
McGlinchey fully backing the backup is exactly what Denver requires from a locker room leader in the current situation, and Stidham playing his tail off is exactly what the Broncos require if they're to topple the Pats without their QB1.
While defense is Denver's bread and butter, Nix has been the key piece on offense since he arrived in 2024, ushering the Broncos to consecutive playoff berths after the organization had gone without a playoff trip from 2016-2023.
He led the league this season with 612 pass attempts, which he turned into 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Nix had also become captain clutch, providing the team hope no matter the circumstance with seven game-winning drives. Against the Bills, he led a late 73-yard go-ahead touchdown drive, then a game-winning march to a field goal in OT after the Bills forced the extra period.
It was during that final drive, on a designed run to the left, that Nix broke his ankle -- although that didn't become clear until after the victory.
McGlinchey recalled it was "incredibly heartbreaking" to find out about Nix's injury afterward, but that he has the "utmost confidence" in Stidham, who will now be thrust into the starting role having not thrown a pass outside preseason since 2023.
When Stidham, 29, starts the AFC Championship Game, he will become the first QB since Roger Staubach in 1972 to make his first start of the season in a conference championship game or later, per NFL Research.
But he does have experience. He started Denver's final two games of the 2023 season after coach Sean Payton benched Russell Wilson with the intent to move on from him. Stidham went 40 of 66 for 496 yards, two TDs and an INT in those contests with a 1-1 record.
He also has the storyline, as the team in the way of his trip to Super Bowl LX is actually the one the drafted him.
New England selected Stidham in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, though he never made a start for the Patriots.
Now, inconceivably, he'll make his first-ever playoff start with the opportunity to crush his former team's dreams -- McGlinchey, a world-class defense and the rest of the Broncos will be doing their damnedest to ensure he does.
