FOXBOROUGH – There was a time when the Patriots thought that Jarrett Stidham might be the quarterback to replace Tom Brady.
Although the 2019 fourth-round pick never lived up to those expectations, Stidham has put together a solid career as a backup quarterback in the NFL. Now, following the Patriots’ win over Houston, the quarterback will take on the team that drafted him in next weekend’s AFC Championship game.
After Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle, Stidham will start with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Although he has ties to New England, there are only a small handful of Patriots who remember him inside Gillette Stadium.
There are six players still on this Patriots roster who were with Stidham for his final season in Foxborough in 2021: guard Michael Onwenu, edge rusher Anfernee Jennings, and linebacker Jahlani Tavai, running back Rhamondre Stevenson, tight end Hunter Henry, and defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
Only two of them, Onwenu and Jennings, were in New England the last time Stidham played in a game for the Patriots during the 2020 season.
“Stid was good. I think he saw the field well,” Onwenu said. “I think, after he got to Denver, he probably moved in the pocket a little bit more and broke contain more. I’m sure he’ll get into that and look to avoid the rush. Stid is a good player. It’ll be fun getting back to playing him.”
After Brady left, Stidham was one of the quarterbacks who could’ve started for the Patriots in 2020. However, the second-year player lost the quarterback battle in training camp and started the season as the third stringer behind Cam Newton and Brian Hoyer.
Stidham was elevated to backup quarterback later that season. He made five appearances for the Patriots, completing 22 of 44 passes for 256 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.
His final regular-season appearance for the Patriots came that season in Week 16 in a loss to Buffalo. In that game, Onwenu started at right tackle, and Jennings played as a reserve edge rusher, finishing with two tackles.
“He was a good teammate,” Jennings said. “He did what he had to do well. I looked forward to preparing and getting ready to play them this week.”
In 2021, Stidham had offseason back surgery and started the year on the physically unable to perform list. He rejoined the team that November and finished the season as the third-string quarterback behind Mac Jones and Hoyer.
The next offseason, in 2022, the Patriots traded Stidham to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2023 sixth-round pick.
After one season in Las Vegas, Stidham signed with Denver in 2023. The backup hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game for the Broncos since that year, but that’ll change next weekend in the AFC Championship.
The longest tenured players on the team, Jennings and Onwenu, are grateful to be in New England.
“It means a lot,” Jennings said. “We set our goals at the beginning of the season. This is just another goal we’re trying to take off the list and trying to get it done.”
“It’s fun right now,” Onwenu added. “It’s fun playing with your brothers, your teammates.”
