Broncos Sign Journeyman Quarterback Ahead Of Patriots Matchup In AFC Championshoip Game

The Denver Broncos announced that starting quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle on the offense’s final snap of the game during the overtime win in the divisional round against the Buffalo Bills.

Head coach Sean Payton then announced that Jarrett Stidham would be the starting quarterback for this Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the team that drafted him in 2019, the New England Patriots.

Stidham was once again the only backup quarterback in the NFL to have not attempted a pass this season. It is the second year in a row that the Broncos’ backup was the NFL’s only pass-less second stringer.

Sam Ehlinger has been the third-string/emergency quarterback for Denver all season. The 2021 sixth-round pick has seen game action only once since he was asked to start three games in his second year in the league.

Needless to say, the room did not inspire confidence for Payton and the Broncos offense, who have since signed some more quarterback help.

“Broncos are signing veteran QB Ben DiNucci to their practice squad,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. “He rejoins the team he played for two seasons ago.”

DiNucci was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

He played in three games his rookie year and has not taken a regular-season snap since.

Taking into account all three healthy quarterbacks on Denver’s roster, the last regular-season pass attempt came from starter Stidham in the final game of the Broncos 2023 season, four months before the team drafted Nix.