At a Glance
- Jarrett Stidham will start the AFC championship game after throwing zero passes in the regular season
- Only seven quarterbacks since 1950 have started a playoff game without starting in the regular season
- Frank Reich is the lone quarterback in that group to win a playoff start
- Why it matters: The Broncos’ Super Bowl hopes now rest on a quarterback who has barely played since 2023
A broken ankle to Bo Nix has catapulted Jarrett Stidham into one of the most improbable starting roles in NFL history. The Denver Broncos will turn to Stidham for Sunday’s AFC title game against New England-despite the fact he has thrown no passes and logged only four offensive snaps all season.
Stidham’s last game action came in the final two starts of the 2023 campaign. Since then, his only reps have arrived in practice and preseason workouts. According to data from Sportradar, Stidham will become just the seventh quarterback since 1950 to start a postseason contest in a season in which he did not start a regular-season game.
The Exclusive Club
Only one quarterback in that six-man fraternity managed a victory: Frank Reich, who won twice for Buffalo during the 1992 playoffs after Jim Kelly went down.
Stidham is poised to join Joe Webb as the only quarterback to start a playoff game after failing to attempt a single regular-season pass. He will also become the second quarterback to make his first start of a season in either a conference title game or the Super Bowl. Hall of Famer Roger Staubach did so in the 1972 NFC championship for Dallas the season after winning Super Bowl MVP.
A Look at the Predecessors
Taylor Heinicke, 2020 Washington
Heinicke had spent more than five years bouncing around the league when Washington added him to its practice squad late in 2020. He replaced Dwayne Haskins in a Week 16 loss, then returned to a reserve role behind Alex Smith. Smith guided Washington to a 7-9 record and a playoff berth, but a calf injury sidelined him for the wild-card round. Heinicke’s second career start produced 306 passing yards and a touchdown in a narrow loss to eventual champion Tampa Bay.
Connor Cook, 2016 Raiders
Derek Carr had Oakland on the cusp of a long-awaited playoff run when he fractured his leg in Week 16. Matt McGloin started the finale but was injured, forcing rookie Connor Cook into duty for his first career start-an wild-card showdown at Houston. Cook finished 18-for-45 for 161 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in a 27-14 defeat. He never appeared in another NFL game.
Joe Webb, 2012 Vikings
Webb saw only three offensive snaps-one fewer than Stidham this season-before Christian Ponder injured his elbow. Webb had started twice in 2010 but had not attempted a pass in 2012. Against Green Bay he went 11-for-30 for 180 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 24-10 loss.
Frank Reich, 1992 Bills
When Jim Kelly hurt his knee in the season finale, Reich took over for the wild-card game versus Houston. The Bills trailed 35-3 in the third quarter before Reich engineered the largest comeback in playoff history, throwing four touchdown passes in a 41-38 overtime victory. Reich added a win the following week at Pittsburgh before Kelly returned to beat Miami for the AFC crown.
Gary Danielson, 1983 Lions
After starting every game in 1980, Danielson split time with Eric Hipple over the next two seasons. Hipple started every game in 1983 while Danielson came off the bench ten times, throwing 113 passes and seven touchdowns. A Hipple knee injury in the finale forced Danielson into his first start of that season in the divisional round against San Francisco. He tossed five interceptions-four in the first half-and nearly still pulled out the win. Joe Montana‘s late touchdown made it 24-23, and Eddie Murray missed a 43-yard field goal in the closing seconds.
Roger Staubach, 1972 Cowboys
Staubach had delivered Dallas a Super Bowl title in 1971 but separated his shoulder in preseason. Craig Morton held the job even after Staubach healed. Down 28-13 in the divisional round, coach Tom Landry turned to Staubach, who sparked a historic comeback. He threw two touchdowns in the final 90 seconds of a 30-28 victory. Staubach’s first start since winning Super Bowl MVP ended in a 26-3 loss to Washington in the NFC championship.
What Lies Ahead
Stidham steps under center with the Broncos one win from the Super Bowl. History says the mountain is steep: only Reich has conquered it before him. Denver’s offense, crafted around Nix’s dual-threat skill set, must now pivot to a signal-caller who has lived almost exclusively on the sideline since New Year’s Day 2024.
