Jarrett Ryan Stidham (born August 8, 1996) is an American professional football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers following a stint with the Baylor Bears. Stidham was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft, where he spent his first three seasons as a backup, and played one season for the Las Vegas Raiders. He joined the Broncos in 2023.

Jarrett Stidham
refer to caption
Stidham with the New England Patriots in 2019
No. 8 – Denver Broncos
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1996-08-08) August 8, 1996 (age 28)
Corbin, Kentucky, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:Stephenville (Stephenville, Texas)
College:
NFL draft:2019 / round: 4 / pick: 133
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2024
Passing attempts:197
Passing completions:117
Completion percentage:59.4%
TDINT:8–8
Passing yards:1,422
Passer rating:78.3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Stidham was born on August 8, 1996, in Corbin, Kentucky.[1] His family moved to Stephenville, Texas when he was in elementary school and he later attended Stephenville High School.[2] As a senior, he completed 183 of 260 passes for 2,934 yards with 35 touchdowns. He also rushed for 969 yards and 15 touchdowns. Stidham was rated by Rivals.com as a four-star recruit and was ranked as the sixth-best dual-threat quarterback in his class. Stidham originally committed to Texas Tech University to play college football, but later changed to Baylor University.[3][4]

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
Jarrett Stidham
QB
Stephenville, Texas Stephenville HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 4.74 Dec 19, 2014 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 11 (QB)   Rivals: 6 (QB)  ESPN: 2 (Dual-threat QB)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Baylor Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  • "2015 Baylor College Football Recruiting Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  • "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 5, 2015.

College career

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Baylor

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Stidham entered his true freshman year at Baylor in 2015 as the backup quarterback to Seth Russell. Stidham appeared in the first seven games, completing 24 of 28 passes for 331 yards and six touchdowns.[5] After Russell suffered a season-ending neck injury during Baylor's seventh game, Stidham took over as the starter.[6][7] He started his first career game against the Kansas State Wildcats.[8][9] He finished the game completing 23 of 33 passes for 419 yards, three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. In his second career start against the Oklahoma Sooners, Stidham injured his back in the first quarter, but he was able to remain in the game. He finished the game completing 16 of 27 for 257 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the 44–34 loss.[10]

The following week, despite being questionable to play leading up to the game, Stidham made his third career start against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He injured his hand and ankle in the first half of the game and did not return to the field for the second half.[11] On November 25, 2015, Baylor head coach Art Briles announced that Stidham's ankle injury was a chipped bone in the back of his ankle and Stidham would be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.[12] It was reported that Stidham might be able to return for Baylor's bowl game, but on December 19, Briles announced Stidham would miss the 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl.[13][14]

In the wake of a sexual abuse scandal at the school, which led to the firing and resignation of much of the coaching staff, and general dissatisfaction backing up Russell, on July 7, 2016, Stidham announced he would be transferring from Baylor.[15][16]

Auburn

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After spending a semester at McLennan Community College, where he did not play football, Stidham announced that he would be transferring to Auburn University. He made the announcement via his Twitter account on December 10, 2016.[17] On August 14, Stidham was named as Auburn's starting quarterback for the 2017 season.[18] Stidham led the Tigers to an SEC West Division Championship after victories over top-ranked the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide.[19] He and the Tigers would later lose to the UCF Knights in the 2018 Peach Bowl.[20] On December 4, 2018, Stidham announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2019 NFL draft.[21]

College statistics

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Season Passing Rushing
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
Baylor Bears
2015 75 109 68.8 1,265 11.6 12 2 199.0 36 70 1.9 2
Auburn Tigers
2017 246 370 66.5 3,158 8.5 18 6 151.0 103 153 1.5 4
2018 224 369 60.7 2,794 7.6 18 5 137.7 72 1 0.0 3
Career 545 848 64.3 7,217 8.5 48 13 151.4 211 224 1.1 9

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 2+38 in
(1.89 m)
218 lb
(99 kg)
32 in
(0.81 m)
9+18 in
(0.23 m)
4.81 s 1.71 s 2.83 s 4.33 s 7.28 s 31.0 in
(0.79 m)
9 ft 2 in
(2.79 m)
27
All values from NFL Combine[22][23]

New England Patriots

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2019

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Stidham was selected by the New England Patriots with the 133rd overall pick, in the fourth round, of the 2019 NFL draft.[24] He signed a four-year deal worth $3.15 million, including a signing bonus of about $634,000.[25]

At the end of the Patriots' 2019 training camp, Stidham was named the second-string backup to quarterback Tom Brady.[26] Stidham selected the number 4 as his jersey number, making him the first Patriots player since placekicker Adam Vinatieri in 2005 to wear the number. He was also the first Patriots quarterback to use number 4.[27]

In Week 3 against the New York Jets, Stidham relieved Brady in the fourth quarter while the Patriots held a 30–7 lead. He completed two out of three passes before throwing an interception to safety Jamal Adams that was returned for a touchdown. Following the interception, Brady returned to finish the game, which the Patriots won 30–14.[28]

2020

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After Brady left the Patriots in March 2020, Stidham was seen as his potential successor for the 2020 season.[29][30][31][32] However, the Patriots signed former MVP Cam Newton in July, who became the frontrunner to replace Brady.[33][34][35] Newton was announced as the season's starting quarterback on September 3,[36] while Stidham became the third-string quarterback behind Newton and second-string backup Brian Hoyer.[37]

Stidham moved up the depth chart when Newton tested positive for COVID-19 amid Week 4, serving as the second option behind Hoyer against the Kansas City Chiefs. Following an ineffective performance from Hoyer, Stidham was brought in during the third quarter to complete the game. He threw his first career touchdown pass to N'Keal Harry, but was also intercepted twice, including one that was returned for a touchdown by safety Tyrann Mathieu, as the Patriots lost 26–10.[38] Stidham was subsequently promoted to the second option ahead of Hoyer.[39]

Although Newton remained the team's starter for rest of the season, Stidham made relief appearances in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers, Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers, and Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Week 13 appearance occurred in a 45–0 shutout of the Chargers,[40] while the Week 7 and Week 14 games saw Stidham take over for a struggling Newton amid a 33–6 defeat in the former and a 24–3 defeat in the latter. Despite Stidham replacing Newton in the blowout losses, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stated after both games that Newton would retain his starting position.[41][42] Stidham's final relief appearance came in Week 16 after an ineffective performance from Newton against the Buffalo Bills. Entering in the third quarter, Stidham also struggled during the eventual 38–9 loss. He completed four of 11 passes for 44 yards and converted three first downs, one of which resulted from a penalty.[43]

2021

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Following off-season back surgery,[44] Stidham began the 2021 season on the team's reserve physically unable to perform list.[45] He was activated on November 9, ahead of the Week 10 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.[46] Stidham was named the third-string quarterback behind rookie Mac Jones and Brian Hoyer, ultimately not taking the field for the entire year.[47]

Las Vegas Raiders

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On May 13, 2022, Stidham was traded along with a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2023 sixth-round pick.[48] The trade reunited Stidham with Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, who was the Patriots' offensive coordinator during his three seasons with the team.[49] He was named the second option to starting quarterback Derek Carr on August 30 and was the only backup quarterback to make the initial 53-man roster.[50]

On December 28, 2022, with two regular season games remaining, Stidham was named the starter for the first time in his career after the Raiders benched Carr.[51] In his first NFL start, Stidham threw for 365 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 37–34 overtime loss to the 49ers.[52]

Denver Broncos

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On March 13, 2023, Stidham signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Denver Broncos.[53] On December 27, 2023, the Broncos announced that Stidham would start the final two games of the season after Russell Wilson was benched.[54]

NFL career statistics

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Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacked Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2019 NE 3 0 2 4 50.0 14 3.5 11 0 1 18.8 2 −2 −1.0 −1 0 1 7 0 0
2020 NE 5 0 22 44 50.0 256 5.8 38 2 3 54.7 7 7 1.0 6 0 4 21 0 0
2021 NE 0 0 DNP
2022 LV 5 2 0–2 53 83 63.9 656 7.9 60 4 3 89.2 14 84 6.0 11 0 7 47 3 1
2023 DEN 3 2 1–1 40 66 60.6 496 7.5 54 2 1 87.7 9 8 0.9 4 0 7 46 1 0
2024 DEN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 −2 −1.0 −1 0 0 0 0 0
Career 18 4 1–3 117 197 59.4 1,422 7.2 60 8 8 78.3 34 95 2.8 11 0 19 121 4 1

Personal life

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Stidham has been married to Kennedy Stidham (née Brown) since 2019.[55] They met as students at Baylor. Brown is the daughter of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment CEO Tad Brown.[56] Their daughter was born in 2022.[55]

References

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  1. ^ "Damien Harris, Jarrett Stidham share Kentucky bond". On3. November 24, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  2. ^ Halliburton, Suzanne. "Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham said he got threatening calls after switching pledge from Texas Tech". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  3. ^ Hamilton, Gerry (December 19, 2014). "No. 39 recruit Jarrett Stidham commits to Baylor over Oregon". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  4. ^ Werner, John (December 19, 2014). "Stephenville standout Stidham commits to Baylor". WacoTrib.com. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  5. ^ Olson, Max (October 28, 2015). "Baylor Bears confident as Jarrett Stidham replaces Seth Russell at QB". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  6. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (October 24, 2015). "Baylor QB Seth Russell fractures bone in neck; Jarrett Stidham moves up depth chart". dallasnews.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015.
  7. ^ "Freshman Stidham next in Baylor QB line that began with RG3". USA Today. Associated Press. October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  8. ^ Robinett, Kellis (October 30, 2015). "Kansas State hopes it can rattle Baylor freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  9. ^ Olson, Max (November 5, 2015). "Baylor Bears QB Jarrett Stidham not feeling pressure of first start and weight of playoff hopes". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  10. ^ Olson, Max (November 16, 2015). "Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham (back) to start against Oklahoma State". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  11. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (November 21, 2015). "Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham injured in win over Oklahoma State". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  12. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (November 25, 2015). "Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham out for the regular season with a broken ankle". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  13. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (December 15, 2015). "Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham healing as expected, not ruled out for Russell Athletic Bowl". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  14. ^ Olson, Max (December 19, 2015). "Corey Coleman, Shock Linwood out for Russell Athletic Bowl". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  15. ^ Olson, Max (July 7, 2016). "Sohomore QB Jarrett Stidham to transfer from Baylor". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
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  18. ^ Scarborough, Alex (August 14, 2017). "Malzahn tabs Stidham as Auburn's starting QB". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
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  47. ^ DeVito, Michael (January 11, 2022). "New England Patriots face some tough cap decisions in 2022". FanSided. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
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  50. ^ "Breaking down the Raiders' initial 2022 roster by position". Oakland Raiders. August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  51. ^ Shook, Nick (December 28, 2022). "Raiders benching QB Derek Carr for final two games of 2022 season; Jarrett Stidham named starter". NFL.com. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  52. ^ Guiterrez, Paul (January 2, 2023). "'You couldn't tell he was a backup': Jarrett Stidham earns Raiders' respect in first start". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  53. ^ DiLalla, Aric (March 13, 2023). "Broncos sign QB Jarrett Stidham". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
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  55. ^ a b Ciccotelli, Jenna (April 4, 2022). "Patriots QB Jarrett Stidham, Wife Kennedy Announce Birth Of Daughter". NESN. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
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