It was an unexpected twist that stunned the NFL community when Russell Wilson, a celebrated quarterback for the Denver Broncos, was celebrated mid-week.
Imperial as it might sound, the temporary dismissal threw Jarrett Stidham into an unlikely spot.
Rewinding the clock to 2020, Stidham was seen stepping in for Derek Carr after being benched in Las Vegas.
With an uncanny resemblance to the current situation, Stidham is once again the ‘Next Man in Line’.
Replacing a veteran quarterback like Carr in a clutch situation isn’t something new for Stidham.
“I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself,” Stidham told reporters on Wednesday, via the team’s official website. “That’s never wavered or anything.”
His debut as a replacement quarterback against San Francisco 49ers saw him ripping through a robust defense, ending the game with impressive stats of 365 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Even though his second start witnessed a slight dip in his performance with 219 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception in Kansas City’s 31-13 loss, it did not diminish the rising hope for Stidham’s capabilities.
The experience of stepping into the starter’s shoes, once again, seems to reassure the 27-year-old’s confidence and anticipation towards the game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I don’t think I need to overthink it,” Stidham said. “Just do what I’m coached to do. We have a great staff and a great group of guys around me. I’m just going to do my job to the best of my ability, do the certain things that I need to do on each and every play and move the ball down the field and hopefully score a lot of points and get a win.”
Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton admitted financial complications played a role in Wilson’s demotion.
But expressed a longing to revamp a rather inactive offense. He insists that benching Wilson was a strategic decision to infuse fresh vigor into the team by providing Stidham an opportunity to play.
Payton’s anxiety is palpable as he awaits the outcome of Stidham’s stint as the new quarterback.
“It’s significant,” Payton said of the opportunity for Stidham. “And I think, look, he understands it. He came here to compete. These guys are competitive by nature, and they haven’t gotten to this level without that confidence in themselves. He’s going to want to play well. That’s the trait most of these players at this level in our league have.”
Stidham stepped into 2021 with a juicy, two-year contract with the Denver Broncos. The new contract promises an attractive $4.49 million base salary and a cap hit of $7 million in 2024.
If Stidham hits a homerun in the upcoming games, it would be a cost-effective investment for a potential starter on the team.
