Broncos' Jarrett Stidham could have returned to Patriots instead of facing them in AFC Championship

Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham is on track to start for the Denver Broncos in their upcoming AFC Championship Game showdown versus the New England Patriots. 

Denver starter Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle late in the club's overtime win over the Buffalo Bills this past Saturday. 

Stidham spent the first three seasons of his pro career with the Patriots after they made him a fourth-round draft pick in 2019. During a Monday appearance on Boston sports radio station WEEI, first-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel revealed that he and his staff "did a lot of work" on Stidham before the club signed journeyman backup Joshua Dobbs last offseason. 

Broncos' Jarrett Stidham has a fan in Patriots' Mike Vrabel  

"I like Jarrett," Vrabel shared, per Meredith Perri of MassLive. "He’s probably ready to go and obviously preparing as a starter each and every week. (We’re) really early in our preparation, and not sure how much things will change based on the quarterback in there and what they’re asking him to do. We’ll just have to get started here today."

Stidham made no starts during his New England tenure that ended when he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in May 2022. He hasn't attempted a regular-season pass since he started a pair of games for Denver during the 2023 campaign. 

Some have suggested that Denver should pursue a wild option for its quarterback situation, such as contacting living legend and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. By all indications, Broncos head coach Sean Payton will give Stidham the nod against the Patriots on Jan. 25.

Have Mike Vrabel's expectations changed amid postseason journey? 

Much has been made about how the Patriots have become the league's current "Cinderella" after they finished last season with a record of 4-13. During Monday's segment, Vrabel was asked what it feels like to have New England one win away from a trip to the Super Bowl roughly 12 months after he accepted the job.

"You know - I joke about this, but probably, it's serious," Vrabel explained, per Tom Carroll of Audacy. "With no expectations, you can't be disappointed. So I just try to come to work each day and figure out what it is that we have to do. And if we're getting ready for games, then I'm going to try to get everybody prepared and try to have a plan. And then if we're not, then we'll figure out what part of the offseason that we're in. So, I just haven't gotten caught up into it too much. Just want to try to be great for everybody here."

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Patriots as 5.5-point road favorites over the Broncos. That line shows just how much expectations for New England have changed from what existed over the Labor Day holiday weekend.