“He’s got sneaky”: Tom Brady praises Jarrett Stidham ahead of AFC championship vs Patriots

The Denver Broncos are one win away from the Super Bowl, but they will try to get there with a quarterback few expected to see in this spot. Recently, Denver confirmed Jarrett Stidham will start the AFC Championship Game after Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle in the divisional round. That injury flipped the script on the Broncos’ playoff run and pushed a longtime backup into the biggest moment of his career.

Now comes the twist that makes this story even louder. Stidham faces the New England Patriots, the same franchise where he once backed up Tom Brady. With questions swirling about whether Stidham can handle the pressure, TB-12 stepped in this week with a strong public endorsement that quickly caught national attention.

Tom Brady shares a strong scouting report on Jarrett Stidham before the Patriots clash

Brady spoke about Stidham while responding to Colin Cowherd’s request for a scouting report during a media appearance earlier this week. The seven-time Super Bowl champion did not hesitate when asked about his former teammate.

“I always loved Stiddy. He’s a very natural passer of the football, very competitive, very smart,” Brady said during the segment. He followed that up with another detail that stood out. “He’s got sneaky good athleticism.”

GOAT made it clear this was not empty praise. He pointed to Stidham’s past opportunities and the confidence inside the Broncos’ building. “He’s performed well out there when he’s gotten opportunities, and I know that the Denver coaching staff, from the things that I’ve read this week, everybody’s got a tremendous amount of confidence in Stiddy and what he can do,” Brady said. He closed with a warning aimed at doubters. “I wouldn’t sleep on him at all.”

Still, Brady also acknowledged the size of the challenge. He noted that Stidham must protect the football against a Patriots defence that allowed just 320 points in the regular season, the fourth-lowest total in the league, and recorded only 71 missed tackles all year. That unit also gave up 25 passing touchdowns, which Sean Payton could try to target with a smart game plan.

Stidham has not seen meaningful game action in more than two years. Now he leads a playoff offence as a 4.5-point underdog with a Super Bowl trip on the line. Brady’s words raised eyebrows. Sunday will show whether they were prophecy or just loyalty.


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