Jarrett Stidham stands on the brink of making history, as he aims to join Frank Reich as only the second quarterback to achieve a victory in his first postseason start. This scenario presents Stidham with a significant challenge, yet it also offers a remarkable opportunity.
If he guides his team to triumph in the upcoming AFC Championship, he will etch his name into the annals of football history, becoming part of an elite group that has accomplished this rare feat. The stakes are high, particularly considering that he is stepping in for the Broncos’ injured quarterback Bo Nix, who unfortunately suffered a broken ankle during an intense overtime victory against the Bills.
As reported by Kalyn Kahler from ESPN.com, since the year 1950, only six quarterbacks have taken the field in a playoff game without having started even one regular season game. Of these, Frank Reich remains the only one to have emerged victorious. He famously took the helm for Jim Kelly in the 1992 wild-card matchup against the Oilers, where the Bills made a stunning comeback from a 35-3 deficit to win 41-38 in overtime. Remarkably, Reich followed up this win with another, defeating the Steelers 24-3 the following week at Three Rivers Stadium, although Kelly returned to start thereafter.
What makes Stidham’s situation even more intriguing is that while Reich had previously thrown 47 passes over five appearances in the 16-game 1992 season, Stidham hasn't yet thrown a single pass throughout the entire 2025 regular season—nor during the 2024 regular season. This makes his upcoming start all the more unprecedented.
According to Kahler, Stidham is set to become only the second quarterback in the modern era to make his first start during the conference championship or later, a distinction he shares with Roger Staubach, who took over for Craig Morton in the NFC Championship back in 1972. Unfortunately for Staubach, the Cowboys were defeated by Washington that day, losing 26-3.
Stidham's last appearances on the field were in Weeks 17 and 18 of the 2023 season when the Broncos decided to bench Russell Wilson for budgetary reasons. Prior to that, he started two games at the end of the 2022 season after the Raiders made a similar financial decision regarding Derek Carr. Thus far, these four starts comprise the entirety of Stidham's professional career.
In just a week's time, Stidham will be facing either the New England Patriots, the team that originally drafted him in 2019, or the Houston franchise that succeeded the Oilers, who fell victim to the legendary comeback led by Frank Reich over three decades ago.
This situation raises many questions: Can Stidham rise to the occasion and pull off a victory? What does this mean for his future in the league? As we anticipate this exciting matchup, what are your thoughts on his chances? Join the conversation!
