The destiny of the Denver Broncos has been left in suspense after the ankle fracture of Bo Nix in the Divisional Round. While there are many uncertainties about whether Denver’s dream season will end this Sunday in Mile High or the team will come out ahead, much of this answer will depend on Jarrett Stidhama quarterback with just four previous starts who now must carry the weight of a city that dreams of the Super Bowl just as it happened 10 years ago and in Santa Clara, the same headquarters of this 2026.
It is more than normal to feel skepticism about this substitute, who has an enormous burden and without a single preparation game, but if the NFL has taught us anything, it is that it is a League where the improbable can dictate the sentence. Stidham could fail in the attemptbut he could also join a group of figures who, against all odds, transformed a medical crisis into a golden opportunity for their careers.
Because just as there are cases in which the crisis was aggravated by the loss of a key starter, there are also those stories in which the substitute was the author of his own story, examples that Stidham will want to emulate and remind us that in the NFL, as in sports, anything is possible. For Stidham, it is not only the opportunity to face his former team, the New England Patriotsalso to give a turn to his career.
The rise of Tom Brady and Kurt Warner
If Stidham is looking for a sign that anonymity is the prelude to greatness, we will find the greatest success stories in 1999 and 2001, with a quarterback who is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and another who is nowhere near joining that pantheon of immortals.
The history of the New England Patriots changed forever when internal bleeding from Drew Bledsoe forced Bill Belichick to trust a young man Tom Brady. That 2001 season, which began with a losing 0-2 record, ended with Brady hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy after beating the favorites St. Louis Rams of the period that were known as The Greatest Show on Turf.
The irony is that those same Rams lived a Cinderella story two years earlier, with a American Underdogor an unlikely story in which success came from the quarterback they least imagined would happen.
When Trent Green was injured in the 1999 preseason, Kurt Warner—who came from the Arena Football and working in a supermarket—took the reins of the Greatest Show on Turf. Warner wasn’t just a functional replacement; was the League MVP and the Super Bowl, demonstrating that a substitute with vision can be the key to taking a system to historic levels.
The forgotten veterans who knew how to resist
For Stidham, whose activity in the last two years has been zero, the trajectory of Jeff Hostetler can bring you inspiration. In 1990, the New York Giants lost Phil Simms in week 15. Hostetlera veteran with only two starts in six years and who was flirting with retirement, had an impeccable postseason that culminated with the victory over the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl XXV.
Jim Plunkett lived a similar moment in 1980. After Dan Pastorini’s broken leg, the Oakland Raiders They turned to a Plunkett that many considered finished. Although he had a disastrous debut with five interceptions, the management trusted him and was not wrong: the quarterback commanded a historic streak that made the Raiders the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl, with Plunkett as the first Latino named MVP of the Big Game.
Those who innovated their teams
Sometimes, the change of quarterback not only maintains the level, it can revolutionize the attack. In 2012, a shock of Alex Smith opened the door to Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco, with the approval of the head coach Jim Harbaugh.
His ability to run and throw destroyed defenses like that of Green Bay Packers and led the 49ers on the verge of a championship. Although they lost Super Bowl XLVII to Baltimore Ravens, Kaepernick showed that a backup with different skills can be a lethal weapon if the coach trusts him.
We also have Francewho came in as a lifeguard in 1992 due to Jim Kelly’s injury, being key in the comeback against the Houston Oilers, overcoming a 32-point deficit. His work as a substitute was so respected that, years later, but as offensive coordinator, he was the guide of another substitute, Nick Foles.
Redemptions exist
Earl Morrall He is another elite reliever. In 1970 he saved the Baltimore Colts after the fall of Johnny Unitas to win Super Bowl V, and in 1972 he was the engine that maintained the perfection of the Miami Dolphins while Bob Griese recovered to eventually win Super Bowl VII, the only one that featured an undefeated champion.
If Stidham can learn anything from Morrall, it is the importance of maintaining the competitive level of his team, something that can be well used with one of the most important strategic minds of the 21st century as Sean Paytonwho commands Denver.
The most recent reference, and probably the first that comes to mind for many, is Nick Foles. In 2017, Carson Wentz’s torn ligament seemed like the end of the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, Foles exceeded all expectations by defeating the New England Patriots in an offensive duel that culminated in a 41-33 win. Super Bowl LII. His ability to execute high-risk plays, such as the Philly Special (in which he caught a touchdown pass), reminds us that the backup does not have to be cautious or fearful, but brave and daring.
This Sunday we will see what the resolution is Jarrett Stidhamwho faces the opportunity of a lifetime and who, if everything goes well like the previous cases, could change his career forever.
