Tom Brady ‘Wouldn’t Sleep’ On Jarrett Stidham In Patriots-Broncos Matchup

Tom Brady spoke highly of Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham before Sunday’s AFC Championship Game showdown with the New England Patriots.

Stidham began his NFL career as Tom Brady’s backup in 2019, but he now has the chance to lead Denver to the Super Bowl. Brady praised his former Patriots teammate Friday on FS1’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.”

“I’ve always loved Stiddy,” Brady said. “He’s a very natural passer of the football. Very competitive, very smart. He’s got sneaky good athleticism. He’s performed well out there when he’s gotten opportunities.”

Brady believes the Broncos have a “tremendous amount of confidence” in Stidham based on the team’s public comments this week. While he acknowledged the difficulty of Denver losing starter Bo Nix during a playoff run, the seven-time Super Bowl champion insisted that Stidham is capable of steering the Broncos across the finish line.

“It’s tough losing Bo Nix,” Brady said. “That’s a brutal injury, certainly at that stage of the game, at this stage of the season. But, at the same time, Stiddy’s got a lot of ability. There’s a reason why he’s been on this club, and there’s a reason why Sean Payton has a lot of confidence in him.

“I wouldn’t sleep on him at all. He’s proven he can make NFL-caliber throws, lead teams to victories by playing good football and not turning the ball over.”

Stidham has just one career win as an NFL starter, but he’ll seek his second with a Super Bowl bid at stake. The AFC Championship Game kicks off Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on CBS.