The Broncos will host the Patriots in Sunday's AFC championship game, and the AFC West champs will have a different look to their offense as backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will be under center in replace of Bo Nix, who suffered a season-ending injury last week against the Bills.
All eyes will be on the 29-year-old signal-caller who hasn't started a NFL game since 2023. Broncos fans are hoping he will be able to lead their team to their first Super Bowl since Peyton Manning's brief tenure with the franchise, while Patriots fans are hoping he won't be able to rise to the occasion on what will be a very big stage.
Stidham caught everyone's attention a few hours before the game when he arrived at Empower Field at Mile High looking calm and cool while rocking a cowboy hat.
Here's that moment:
Jarrett Stidham has arrived for the AFC Championship.
— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) January 25, 2026
🤠 STIDDY UP 🤠 pic.twitter.com/aDoR2zZpNa
Stidham was actually drafted by the Patriots back in 2019 when they selected him in the fourth round. He appeared in eight games in two years with New England before he was traded to the Raiders in 2022 for a sixth-round pick. Stidham, who has thrown just 197 passes in during his NFL career, has spent the past three seasons with the Broncos.
Now he has a chance to get the biggest win of his life on Sunday. Fans loved the vibes his pregame look was giving off.
Love the cowboy hat! I'm feeling 250+ yards and 1 TD.
— Jason Bilyeu (@JasBilyeu) January 25, 2026
Broncos win!
AURA
— JmS (@Realistikk_) January 25, 2026
He’s Ready 🔥🔥🔥
— Explicit Baby (@explicit_baby) January 25, 2026
— JJsax (@itsJJsax) January 25, 2026
He got so much aura man pic.twitter.com/rKPJHRScNO
— arc🗿 (@arcofskyy) January 25, 2026
The AFC championship game starts at 3 p.m. ET.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
- Good, Bad and Ugly, Championship Sunday: Patriots Punch Their Ticket to the Super Bowl
- Albert Breer’s NFL Takeaways: Why the Steelers Played it Safe With Mike McCarthy
- NFL Fans Crushed Sean Payton for Costly Fourth Down Decision in Broncos’ Loss
- Mike Vrabel Makes NFL History With Super Bowl Trip in First Year As Patriots Coach
- Drake Maye Had Four-Word Message for Rest of NFL After Patriots' Win Over Broncos
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jarrett Stidham’s Bold Pregame Wardrobe Choice Loved by Broncos Fans .
