Broncos HC Sean Payton shares Jarrett Stidham warning for Patriots ahead of AFC Championship

Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith noted that the Denver Broncos are the biggest home underdogs ever in a conference championship game (5.5 points) since the NFL moved to the AFC-NFC format in 1970. 

Of course, the biggest reason for this line is that the Broncos will start backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham versus the New England Patriots this coming Sunday after QB1 Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle this past weekend. 

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Broncos head coach Sean Payton issued a bit of a warning for the Patriots and for those who are already penciling New England into the Super Bowl portion of their postseason brackets. 

Sean Payton says Jarrett Stidham will "rip it" vs. Patriots

"He's gonna rip it, you know?" Payton said about Stidham, per Nick Shook of the NFL's website. "That'll be our approach. He's got this calm demeanor that I think suits him well. He's played in big games (in) college. You know, I said this at the start of the season, I felt like our two was inside the best 32. I think everyone feels that way, but that's why that signing was important. And you don't know when it's happening, but I'm glad it happened."

Understandably, certain league insiders don't share Payton's confidence. Stidham hasn't thrown a regular-season pass since he last made a start during the 2023 campaign, and he has made just four meaningful starts as a pro since the Patriots selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. 

How Jarrett Stidham is handling the pressure

Theoretically, the upcoming AFC title game could give Stidham a chance to jump-start his career. On Wednesday, he insisted he's not thinking about his long-term future while preparing to face the Patriots with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. 

"At the end of the day, I'm not focused on anything but Sunday," Stidham said. "What is my job on each and every play? How can I help my teammates succeed on Sunday? I don't care about anything else other than the next five days and what my job is."

Stidham added that he knows the Broncos "wouldn't be in this position without Bo." Fair or not, Stidham has now been tasked with helping Denver complete a journey that began this past September.