Linebacker brothers Jonah Elliss and Christian Elliss will meet again at Mile High. So will familiar faces on the coaching staffs ranging from Josh McDaniels to Evan Rothstein. And so will a group of players who have been both New England Patriots and Denver Broncos.
Between the active rosters, practice squads and the reserve lists, five currently in the fold for the AFC Championship Game have made stops with the No. 2 seed as well as the No. 1 seed during their NFL journeys.
Here’s a glance through the list of familiar names heading into Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET kickoff at Empower Field.
Jarrett Stidham, quarterback — An overtime snap in the divisional round ended Bo Nix’s playoff run. The starting quarterback of the Broncos has since undergone surgery to repair a broken bone in his right ankle. And in turn, it will be his 29-year-old backup under center on Sunday. The 2023 regular season marked the last time Stidham attempted a pass in a game. But with a spot in Super Bowl LX on the line, that will soon change. The former transfer from Baylor to Auburn signed a two-year, $10 million contract as head coach Sean Payton arrived in Denver. A two-year, $12 million extension followed last March. Seven appearances, including two starts, have been made during his stay. Chosen by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 draft at No. 133 overall, Stidham completed 24-of-48 passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions across eight games with New England. In 2022, he was acquired by his previous offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach elsewhere in the AFC West, as future selections in the sixth and seventh rounds changed hands.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey, wide receiver — Humphrey entered the NFL with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted rookie in 2019. The 27-year-old wide receiver reunited with his former head coach at Mile High in 2023 and again in 2025. His tours in Denver have spanned 41 games, 17 starts, 55 catches, 556 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season. The first playoff touchdown of Humphrey’s career arrived last weekend. He was signed back to the 53-man roster off the practice squad of the New York Giants in November. And several campaigns prior, the Texas Longhorns product found himself involved in a series of transactions at Gillette Stadium, too. Humphrey caught 16 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns with the 2022 Patriots, serving as a standard elevation before signing to the active roster, re-signing to the practice squad and then being released from the practice squad.
Alex Singleton, linebacker — The Broncos’ recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, Singleton came back from a torn ACL last season and underwent surgery in November after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. The team captain returned to the field two weeks later. His time in Denver began in 2022 and has since produced 53 games, 47 starts and 506 tackles. Singleton’s stay also spans three sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. He spent three years with the Philadelphia Eagles, returning two interceptions for touchdowns while notching back-to-back seasons well north of 100 tackles. But it’s been a well-traveled career for the Montana State alum. Singleton spent one week on the Patriots’ practice squad as an undrafted rookie in September 2015. The inside linebacker moved on to the Minnesota Vikings before being drafted No. 6 overall by the Calgary Stampeders. An eventual Grey Cup champion, Singleton was twice named a CFL All-Star and secured the Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award along the way.
Trent Sherfield Sr., wide receiver — The Patriots added a veteran of 124 games, 14 starts and playoff experience to the practice squad leading up to the AFC divisional round. Sherfield has caught 89 passes for 1,034 yards and six touchdowns in the regular season since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018. The 29-year-old wide receiver out of Vanderbilt stands with 2,684 snaps on offense and 1,804 snaps on special teams. And he now stands with his seventh different organization. Last March, the Broncos inked Sherfield to a two-year, $8 million pact. He was waived from the 53-man roster in November after the aforementioned Humphrey circled back to the wideout room. A stop with the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals followed before signing on in Foxborough.
Yasir Durant, offensive tackle — As training camp got underway in July, Durant cleared waivers and reverted to New England’s season-ending injured reserve. The 27-year-old offensive tackle had returned to the Patriots one month prior after turning in an All-UFL campaign on the blindside for the champion DC Defenders. It marked the second spring campaign for the product of Arizona Western and Missouri. Durant stepped into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020. The next preseason, he was acquired in Foxborough via trade and went on to appear in seven games along the offensive line, starting one. After being waived at the league’s cutdown deadline in 2022, Durant signed on with New Orleans. Then came five days with Denver in the summer of 2023. His career has included 188 snaps on offense and 85 snaps on special teams across 19 games.
