The No. 12 overall selection of the 2014 NFL Draft, Nix, 25, has quarterbacked Denver to back-to-back playoff appearances, with Saturday’s triumph standing as his first postseason victory. Nix was 26 of 46 (56.5%) for 279 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 29 yards on a season-high 12 carries.
For the season, Nix completed 388 of his NFL-high 612 passing attempts for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and added 356 yards and five touchdowns rushing.
The AFC title game will be the first game missed for Nix in his short NFL career, which began with 36 straight starts, including playoffs.
Veteran backup Stidham will step in, set to make his first playoff appearance and start.
The 29-year-old Stidham was a 2019 fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots and was also with the Las Vegas Raiders before joining the Broncos. He’s in his third season in head coach Sean Payton’s offense, but has not started since Week 18 of the 2023 campaign when he’d been named the team’s starter upon the benching of Russell Wilson.
Stidham appeared in just one game during this past regular season, which came in a Week 8 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys. He threw no passes and played four snaps. He hasn’t thrown an official pass since Week 18 of the 2023 season in his aforementioned previous start.
Stidham and the Broncos kick off against the Patriots at 3 p.m. ET Sunday.
