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Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo hilariously mispronounces Jarrett Stidham’s name

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Daniel Hager | Last updated Jan 21, 2026 7:58 PM ET

With just three games remaining in the 2025-26 NFL season, four quarterbacks remain: Seattle’s Sam Darnold, New England’s Drake Maye, Los Angeles’ Matthew Stafford, and Denver’s Jarrett Stidham. Stidham, who has not started an NFL game since 2023, will start in Sunday’s AFC Conference Championship following Bo Nix‘s season-ending ankle injury.

Nix suffered the injury on a -2 yard rush with 6:04 remaining in overtime of Denver’s AFC Divisional game. He, however, remained in the game and drew a crucial pass interference call on a throw to Marvin Mims, which put Denver in field goal range for the 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills. He underwent surgery on Tuesday for the broken bone in his ankle.

Stidham has suddenly become a hot topic around the sport due to this absurd sequence of events. While discussing Stidham on Wednesday’s edition of ‘Mad Dog Unleashed‘, legendary radio host Christopher ‘Mad Dog’ Russo hilariously mispronounced the former fourth round pick’s last name.

If I gave you a hundred guesses on how Chris “Mad Dog” Russo just pronounced Jarrett Stidham’s name, I guarantee you wouldn’t get it right. pic.twitter.com/5xHLrMoc2f
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) January 21, 2026

“Do you have confidence in (Sean) Payton getting the most out of the quarterback in this ballgame, Stick-em. Stick-em, in this ballgame here on Sunday afternoon against the Patriots,” Russo asked. While humorous, the slip goes to show really how unknown the backup quarterback is.

Jarrett Stidham will make fifth career start in AFC title game

Stidham appeared in just one game this season for a kneel down in Denver’s 44-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 26.

Across six NFL seasons, Stidham has appeared in 20 career games (four starts) with three different organizations (New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, and Denver Broncos). He has completed 59.4% of his passes for 1,422 yards and eight touchdowns with eight interceptions. His teams are just 1-3 in his four starts.

Although he remains extremely unproven, head coach Sean Payton instilled strong confidence in Stidham following Nix’s diagnosis. “He’s ready. He’s ready,” Payton said. “I said this at the beginning of the season, but I feel like I’ve got two that’s capable of starting for a number of teams. And, I know he feels the same way. So, watch out. Just watch.”

Nix’s absence could be devastating for an organization seeking a return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015. With a defense that dominant, however, anything certainly is possible.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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