The Denver Broncos are going into the summer with a three-way quarterback battle between Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Bo Nix.
Stidham (27) is the incumbent who started the final two games of the 2023 season after Russell Wilson was benched. Wilson (24) was acquired via trade this spring after three underwhelming years with the New York Jets. Nix (24) was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the NFL draft in April.
Despite having just four starts on his resume, Stidham is the veteran in Denver.
“It’s been fun,” Stidam said when asked about the quarterback competition on May 23. “It’s been exciting having two new guys in the room. This is the first time I’ve been the [veteran] in the room, so that’s been fun and exciting. This is a business. I understand how this thing works, but it’s been fun to compete and that is what we are going to do.”
After the Broncos cut Wilson, Stidham was the de facto starting quarterback left on the roster. Then the team acquired a QB via trade and used a first-round draft pick on another QB. Stidham knows the odds are stacked against him, but he’s not going down without a fight.
“Like I said, I’ve dealt with this before when I was in New England with Mac Jones,” Stidham said when asked about Denver drafting Nix. “It’s a business and I totally understand it, but at the same time, I’m here to compete. I’m not going to just sit down and let someone else walk in here and — I’m going to work my butt off to get the job. I’m super excited about it.”
Stidham is a competitor and he obviously wants to win the job, but he’s also willing to help mentor the team’s young QBs the same way he had help when he came into the league in 2019.
“I was fortunate enough — my rookie year, I was competing with Brian Hoyer for the backup job in New England behind Tom [Brady],” Stidham recalled. “‘Hoy’ had been in the system for seven or eight years and he did nothing but help me. I want to help these guys learn as much as they can.
“Like I said, I’m the vet in the room, so anything that I’ve been up on over the years, I tell those guys. Certain little thoughts or tricks I have, I share them. At the same time, we’re all in it together, and we’re all competing. That’s what we have to do.”
It’s a good mentality for Stidham to have. He’ll aim to win the starting job, but that won’t stop him from being a team player and helping Nix and Wilson when he can. That’s exactly the kind of veteran the Broncos need in the QB room.
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