Broncos roster review: Quarterback Jarrett Stidham

The Denver Broncos signed quarterback Jarrett Stidham in free agency to a two-year deal worth $10 million. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth-round of the 2019 NFL Draft and spent his first two seasons there before Josh McDaniels traded for him to play for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Player Profile

Height: 6’3” | Weight: 214 pounds | Age: 26 years old

Career Stats: 77/131, 58.8% for 926 yards with 6 TDs and 7 INTs

He started two games and looked pretty sharp completing nearly 64% of his passes while tossing 4 touchdowns. He was one of only two quarterbacks to throw three touchdowns passes against the vaunted San Francisco 49ers defense last season.

He comes to Denver as an obvious backup to Russell Wilson, but as a backup he has all of the qualities you look for in a guy who could step in and compete right away.

Jarrett Stidham’s 2023 outlook

Stidham is the backup and that won’t change heading into Week 1 barring any injuries. Through the first week of camp, he has stood out with some incredible throws and excellent poise.

Head Coach Sean Payton likes him too and pointed out the qualities that will ultimately make him a lock to make the roster in a few weeks.

“The film we had were two games from the end of the season and preseason tape all the way back to New England,” Payton said on Tuesday. “I think he’s getting more and more familiar with what we are doing offensively. He made a couple of good throws today on third down. He can beat you with his feet a little bit as well. I think it’s just getting the system down and the timing with the other receivers. He’s handling the installs well. He’s smart.”

Final thoughts

I actually like Jarrett Stidham a lot and feel comfortable with him stepping in if something where to happen to Wilson where he couldn’t play. Is he an NFL-level starter? That’s to be determined. He is entering his fifth year in the league and only just got his first handful of starts late last season and while he looked good at times in those games, he still has a long way to go to make the leap to NFL starter.

Playing behind Russell Wilson could be a solid opportunity for him to continue his craft and the Broncos will benefit by having a capable player ready to go if the need arises.