Here’s what Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham had to say during his press conference on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
On what it feels like to have this fan base just embrace him in this moment?
“Yeah, look, I mean, this is not about myself. First of all, I want to… Obviously, my thoughts and prayers have been with Bo [Nix] since Saturday night. It’s crushing because he’s one of my best friends. Sam and I were talking about this. Sam [Ehlinger] and I probably spend more time with him than his wife does right now. And that’s just the nature of the business that we’re in. When training camp starts, that’s just how it is. I see Bo more than I see my kids. So it’s just one of those things. You spend so much time with someone, you see how hard they work, how good of a teammate they are, and then that happens and you feel crushed for him and everything. So, yeah, I just… Obviously, my prayers and stuff have been with him.”
On the fact in 2019 he was drafted by the Patriots and now he has a chance to beat them to go to the Super Bowl and if he’s had a moment to process all of that:
“Yeah, look, I think at the end of the day, obviously, I’m very appreciative of New England for giving me a shot in this league, drafting me. Obviously, Bill [Belichick]’s not there anymore, but I know there’s still front office guys there that were there when I was there. Nick Caserio is down in Houston now, the GM. He was a big part of that, too. Josh McDaniels, who obviously was my play-caller. I mean, I’ve only had two play callers in my life, Sean and Josh. So super appreciative of them for sure, but really just fired up for the opportunity for these guys in this locker room. And we’re looking forward to Sunday and getting out there and seeing what we got.”
On the fact he’s a seven-year veteran for the last three years here and how ready he feels for this moment:
“Yeah, look, I think every week I’ve always, going back to when I was backing up Russ [Russell Wilson], I’ve prepared the same every single week like I am the starter. Just hasn’t obviously been that way, minus two weeks. So my preparation hasn’t changed one bit. And yeah, that’s just kind of how I view it.”
And if he can take us through after the game when he found out, did he know on the field that he was hurting, and then after, and then switching to realizing that he was going to be the starting quarterback for the AFC Championship:
“Yeah, I think whenever we had that last drive of the game, he comes off the sideline, and you could tell he was in some sort of pain, but we don’t really know. Obviously, we’re all excited that we’re going to the AFC Championship. Whenever we get back in the locker room, we didn’t really find out until the X-rays came back because Sam and I were both in there with him whenever the doctors were looking at him. They go do the X-rays. I took a shower, came back, and got dressed, and went back in the training room. That’s when I found out.”
“Again, just devastating for him, obviously. Like I said earlier, my heart goes out to him and everything that he means to this team, because obviously, we wouldn’t be in this position without Bo. I know all of us on offense, and I know the whole team, we want to go out there and make them proud this Sunday.
On what’s the biggest challenge in getting to speed in just the one week of prep that he has:
“Reps are obviously everything, but we practice full speed here. That’s one thing that I love about Sean. I was fortunate whenever I played in New England for Bill, it was the same way. You try to make practice as hard as possible. That way, Sunday, it’s not a shock. That’s how we practice here, and that’s how we’ll always practice here.”
On what is the sweet spot between playing free and doing too much:
“Look, I think what I always go back to in any game, regular season, preseason, AFC Championship, it’s still the same game. So obviously, there’s implications and winner advances, all that stuff. But at the end of the day, it’s still football, and that’s how I view it. So I’m not treating it any differently. I’m not treating my preparation any differently. I’m just going to go out there and play and be myself. I think that’s the biggest thing is I’m not going to try to be somebody that I’m not. And I know how I can play, and I know the kind of guys I got around me and the kind of team that we have. So we all just have to play within ourselves.”
On the fact this isn’t how he’d want to get this opportunity, and he said he believes he’s going to be a starting quarterback this week and what does it mean to him to have this opportunity and get a chance to go out there and play in such a high stake:
“I think, really, every quarterback probably feels the same way in the league. I don’t obviously want to talk for everybody, but we’re all very competitive, and that’s how it’s always been. Obviously, any chance you get to step out on the field, you want to do your best and do your best for your teammates and your coaches and everything. That’s really what I’m focused on is what is my job throughout the week, throughout each day? Then obviously on Sunday, what am I asked to do on each and every play and try to put us in the best position to win.”
On the fact he’s a self-proclaimed vibes guy and in this role, can he influence the vibes more or does someone else have to help pick him up there:
“No, I feel like I’m still a vibe guy. I think it was somebody was just in… I think it was Palmer over here, he’s looking down on his phone, but he was asking me what my turtle box was, and that’s Mr. Turtle. So I like to keep the vibes high in the locker room and hopefully bring that to the huddle on Sunday. But yeah, I mean, we’re playing in the AFC Championship. We’re one of the last four teams playing. What’s not fun about this? So we’re going to go out there and give it the best we got and hopefully come up with a win.”
On the fact Mike [Vrabel] made it pretty clear that this offseason they were trying to get you back, and what was his decision-making as far as resigning in Denver, knowing that he was going to be behind Bo in every circumstance:
“Yeah, I mean, obviously, there’s always opportunities out there and stuff. But I think at the end of the day, there was a combination of things that went into my decision to come back here. I believe in Sean and Davis and Joe, and our room and being behind Bo and helping him grow. I take a lot of pride in that. I felt like, over the last two years that I was here, I got a lot better. I think the way Davis has coached us over these last three years now, has really helped all of us improve. That was just one thing I wanted to come back and be a part of. I felt like being here the last two years and coming in with Sean and signing and everything, it’s pretty evident that he’s got the train rolling in the right direction. I don’t think anybody can argue that, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
On if he’s been out in public this week and has he heard any support from fans or anything like that:
“I have not. I think I went to Target with my kids earlier this week. That’s been about it. So, no.”
No one noticed you?
“No, incognito. Nobody noticed us.”
On if he’s thought at all about, and it’s tough because it’s been such a whirlwind, but how this could possibly change his life:
“Look, I think at the end of the day, I’m not focused on anything but Sunday. What is my job on each and every play? What is my job? How can I help my teammates succeed on Sunday? I do not care about anything outside of the next five days and what my job is. That’s the only thing I’m focused on.
On if he looks back at the history, a guy like Nick Foles, backup quarterback, wins the Super Bowl, Hostetler before that:
“Yeah, obviously, what those guys have done and accomplished is incredible. But I’m not going to get too far ahead of myself or anything like that. Like I said, just focus on the day-to-day right now, and being prepared for Sunday, and trying to go out there and win a ball game.
On if he’s noticed the thousands of people that have changed their profile picture to him:
“I’m actually not on social media at the moment, but I have had multiple people send me the LeBron [James] meme with the headphones and the sunglasses. I guess that’s pretty funny, but it’s great. Broncos Country, in my opinion, arguably the best fan base in sports. Really excited to get out there in front of them. It’s been a long time since this game has been played here, so I know they’ll be rocking on Sunday.”
On after Bo won the job last year, the told everyone here that he views himself as a starting quarterback in this league and from that point, how does he feel like he’s developed as a player and if he’s kept that same mentality day by day, every single day since:
“Absolutely. I think the biggest thing in this business is if you get complacent with your job, I mean, their job upstairs is to find someone that’s better than you. You always have that chip on your shoulder to keep working, no matter the circumstance. That hasn’t changed for me. Every day I wake up and thank God that I’m able to be a quarterback in the NFL and just go to work every day with a great group of guys and coaches and support staff and everybody that’s involved. We’re just all really fortunate to be here playing in this game this late in the season. That mentality has never changed.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This transcript was done based on the available footage and is subject to typographical errors. If you spot anything, please let me know in the comments below.)
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
