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By Tyler Erzberger
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Have you ever had a job where your boss unexpectedly asks you to do a job way out of your comfort zone that sends you into a deep panic?
Well, meet Denver Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who is going through those emotions roughly multiplied by a trillion or two.
Last night, Bo Nix and the Broncos upended reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to make it to the AFC Championship next week at home in Denver. There was much celebrating, high-fiving, and hollering as the team exited the field in triumph.
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Minutes later, though, those smiles were gone, as Sean Payton announced Nix was done for the season with a broken ankle.
Jarrett Stidham would now be the starting player under center for the franchise's biggest game in a decade.
If you are only vaguely aware of Stidham's name or have never heard of him, it's OK – you're a part of the majority. Whereas other backups in the league have extensive starting careers, are former high draft picks, or get ample amounts of playing time, Stidham is none of those three.
He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round in 2019 and has barely played, throwing only 197 passes during his six-year career.
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More worryingly, Stidham hasn't thrown a professional attempt in over two years. His last game was against the Raiders after the Broncos' Russell Wilson debacle, when he was sacked five times in a loss in which he threw for a touchdown but also an interception.
While some fans will point to this as a Nick Foles situation with the Eagles all those years ago, it's not.
When Stidham starts next Sunday, it will double the record for the longest time between passes for a quarterback to start a conference championship game.
He also has only four career starts, which is an NFL record for a QB starting a conference championship game.
It will have been 749 days since Stidham threw a pass in the NFL when he lines up against either the team that drafted him, the Patriots, or the Houston Texans for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.
749 days.
We're either witnessing the beginning of one of the greatest stories in NFL history, or the Broncos might be playing the "what-if" game until next season kicks off.
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