Hall of Famer sends warning to Broncos' Jarrett Stidham ahead of AFC Championship vs. Patriots

The biggest storyline of this coming Sunday's AFC Championship Game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots involves Denver having to start backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham in place of injured QB1 Bo Nix (ankle). 

During Wednesday's edition of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" program, Hall of Fame quarterback and current NFL analyst Steve Young offered Stidham some noteworthy advice. 

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"He needs to be very, very careful that he’s not the reason they lose," Young said about Stidham's impact on the Broncos this Sunday, per Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media.

On Wednesday, Broncos head coach Sean Payton hinted he will ignore such warnings when he said that Stidham is "gonna rip it" versus New England. Outsiders who haven't seen Stidham during Denver practices mostly don't know what such a scenario looks like. 

A 2019 fourth-round draft pick, Stidham hasn't attempted a regular-season pass over the past two campaigns. He has made just four career regular-season starts, the last of which occurred in January 2024. 

In Week 17 of the 2022 season, Stidham made his first career start while with the Las Vegas Raiders. He passed for 365 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in an overtime loss against the San Francisco 49ers. More recently, he passed for 272 yards with one touchdown and a pick during a Denver loss to the Raiders in Week 18 of the 2023 season. 

"[The Broncos] have got to be careful, because you lose championship games, any playoff game, you lose so quickly, couple bad series, couple turnovers, it’s over," Young explained. "And so, [Stidham] needs to be very, very careful that he’s not the reason they lose." 

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Payton is a one-time Super Bowl champion head coach who has seen just about everything defensive coordinators can throw his way and who is no stranger to the sport's biggest stages. Young suggested that what Payton says and doesn't say to Stidham during the AFC title clash could help determine how the 29-year-old handles the moment. 

"[The championship game] brings out this intensity that you cannot get ready for even if you play all year," Young added during the segment. "It takes a second to kind of get used to it." 

Keeping Stidham calm may be Payton's top task during a game many expect Denver to lose. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook continued to list the Broncos as 4.5-point home underdogs versus the Patriots.