Former Auburn Quarterback Jarrett Stidham will start in the AFC Championship Game

January 18, 2026 – Former Auburn Quarterback Jarrett Stidham is in the spotlight as the AFC West Champion Denver Broncos have advanced to the AFC Championship game – one win away from a Super Bowl. Former Auburn Quarterback Bo Nix led the Broncos all season and Saturday night led them on a game winning drive in overtime to defeat the favored Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately Nix broke a bone in his right ankle on his next to last play of that drive that setup the game clinching field goal for the win.

Nix's Auburn career ended with a similar ankle injury – an injury he previously had in high school. Nix will have season ending surgery to repair the ankle on Tuesday. It is believed that he will be able to play by the first game of next season. That means that Stidham will start in the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots.

Jarrett Stidham has played in 20 NFL games. His career began with the New England Patriots. He then went to the Las Vegas Raiders, before jumping to the Broncos. A career backup, he started two games for the Raiders in 2022. In 2023 he started two games for the Patriots when head Coach Sean Payton got angry with then starting quarterback Russell Wilson. After the season, Payton released Wilson - who has since bounced around to the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants – and drafted Nix – who was third in the Heisman Trophy race at Oregon after leaving Auburn.

Stidham has accumulated 1,422 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions across 20 NFL games, completing 117 of 197 attempts for a 59.4 percent completion rate and a 78.3 passer rating in his NFL career. His career also includes 101 rushing yards on 37 carries

Stidham had 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in two years at Auburn after starting his career at Baylor. Stidham defeated both Georgia and Alabama in his 2017 season leading Auburn to the SEC championship game – the last time Auburn has been in a SEC Championship game. In 2018 Stidham threw 2,794 yards in 224 for 369 (60.7%) passing in Gus Malzahn's system. Stidham was the MVP of the Music City Bowl that year defeating Purdue in blowout fashion 63 to 14 – the last time that the Tigers have won a bowl game. Auburn fired Malzahn after the 2020 season – Nix's second year as the Auburn starter.

Payton was asked if Stidham was up to the challenge.

"In fairness to what you've seen, which is very limited - yeah, he's ready," Payton said during his postgame news conference Saturday. "He's ready. Like, I said this at the beginning of the season. I feel like I've got a two that's capable of starting for a number of teams. And I know he feels the same way. So watch out. ... Just watch. He's experienced. He's played in games. They're different type players to some degree. ... Here we go."

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