Denver’s Sean Payton expressed the need for a boost when discussing Jarrett Stidham: ‘We’re looking for a source of inspiration.’

While the Denver Broncos face slim odds of securing a spot in the AFC playoffs with a current record of 7-8, their postseason hopes are still alive with two Sundays remaining in the regular season. Surprisingly, there is even a potential scenario for the Broncos to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC West. However, it’s crucial to note that if the Broncos fall to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, their path to the playoffs will be completely shut down.

Denver coach Sean Payton emphasized that one of the motivating factors for the Broncos to secure a victory is their desperate need to do so. As a testament to their determination, the team will be fielding a different starting quarterback against the Chargers than the one who played in the previous 15 games of the season.

On Wednesday, Coach Payton announced the decision to replace nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson with Jarrett Stidham, who has accumulated two starts in his five seasons in the NFL.

Payton explained, “We need a spark right now. I’m hopeful that it gives us a spark. I’m hopeful that we do some other things better. And it’s not just going to be on him. The offensive line, the receivers, the running backs—those guys are going to have to play well. That’ll be important.”

The decision to make this change comes on the heels of the Broncos’ 26-23 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, marking their third loss in four games. In each of the three recent setbacks, Denver failed to surpass 287 yards and suffered six turnovers.

Stidham, responding to the quarterback switch, remarked, “I don’t think I need to overthink it. Just do what I’m coached to do. We have a great staff and a great group of guys around me. I’m just going to do my job to the best of my ability, execute the specific tasks on each and every play, move the ball down the field, and hope we score a lot of points for a win.”

Drafted as a fourth-round pick from Auburn in 2019, Stidham has participated in 14 regular-season games since entering the NFL, including four snaps in one game in 2023.

Coach Payton expressed confidence in Stidham’s abilities, stating, “He’s someone who’s got real good poise. He’s got really good feet. You see his arm strength and decision-making. Take a peek at the 49ers game, or take a peek at the Chiefs game. Some of those things we saw, and, obviously, we get a chance to see him every day against our defense.”

In 2022, Stidham started the final two games of the season for the Las Vegas Raiders. Reflecting on the similarities and differences between his opportunities, Stidham commented, “I guess they’re similar, but they’re also completely different as well. Again, I think it just goes back to preparing like I have throughout my entire career. Nothing this week changes now that I’m a starter versus a backup last week. I’ve had my routine that I stick with that I know gets me prepared and gets me ready to play, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

In his recent starts for the Las Vegas Raiders, Stidham faced tough competition, losing 37-34 to the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 1 and 31-13 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 7. During these games, Stidham showcased his skills by completing 45-of-70 passes for 584 yards, throwing four touchdowns and three interceptions, and rushing for 84 yards on 14 carries against two of the NFL’s top teams.

Stidham achieved a notable milestone by becoming the second player in NFL history to record at least 350 passing yards and three touchdown passes in his first start. Furthermore, he joined an elite group as the 11th player in the league’s AFC-NFC era to accumulate at least 584 passing yards and four touchdowns in his first two starts. Remarkably, he is the only one among these 11 quarterbacks to also rush for 84 yards.

Reflecting on his performance, Stidham remarked, “As a quarterback in the NFL, you don’t ever really know, like you think you know what you can do, but until you can go out there and actually do it. And, obviously, that was my first start in four years, at the end of my fourth year. I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself. That’s never wavered or anything. Like I said, I lean a lot on the guys around me. I’m only one guy, and this is an 11-man sport, so it takes all 11 of us to execute and do what we can do on each and every play to move the ball and score points.”

Last season, Stidham stepped in for Derek Carr, who was sidelined for the final two weeks of his ninth season with the Raiders. With a 6-9 record, Las Vegas aimed to preserve Carr’s health, as his contract was guaranteed against injury. Carr’s 2023 salary of $32.9 million, along with $7.5 million from his 2024 salary, was set to become fully guaranteed in the offseason. To maintain the option to release him, the Raiders needed Carr to stay healthy, which he did.

However, Las Vegas chose not to re-sign Stidham in the offseason. Instead, Stidham entered free agency and signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Broncos.

Looking ahead, Russell Wilson’s $37 million salary for the 2025 season will become fully guaranteed if he remains on the Broncos’ roster five days after the NFL’s 2024 fiscal year starts in March. Currently, it is already guaranteed against injury.

Coach Payton addressed the situation, stating, “I understand all the speculation and everything that surrounds a move like that. I can tell you, look, we’re desperately trying to win. Sure, in our game today, there’s economics and all those other things. But the No. 1 push behind this—and it’s a decision I’m making—is to get a spark offensively.”

“It’s undoubtedly a challenging situation. All of us share the sentiment that we didn’t perform up to the mark. However, when we signed Stidham in the offseason, we based our decision not only on preseason games but also regular-season performances. I’m eager to see him in action, and if I didn’t believe he could give us a shot at winning, we wouldn’t be making this move. The irony is that he was in a situation that many might perceive as similar, yet I find it somewhat different.

As for the future, we haven’t had a formal discussion. I’m sure we will. Greg (Penner), George (Paton), and I communicate regularly. But, for now, our focus is on the present—aiming to secure our eighth win. We’ll take it from there.”

The Broncos and Chargers are scheduled to kick off at 3:25 p.m. on Sunday in Denver.