The top-seeded Denver Broncos will be without starting quarterback Bo Nix for the rest of the playoffs after he broke his ankle in a 33-30 AFC divisional-round game against the Buffalo Bills. After revealing Nix’s status, coach Sean Payton said backup Jarrett Stidham is “ready to go” in Nix’s place.

Stidham, 29, has appeared in 20 games with four starts over his seven NFL seasons but has never appeared in a postseason game. He has been with the Broncos since 2023, when he signed a two-year deal and initially served as Russell Wilson’s backup.

The New England Patriots drafted Stidham in the fourth round in 2019 out of Auburn. He spent three seasons in New England, where he served as a backup to Tom Brady and Cam Newton, before being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for the 2022 season.

Stidham was Derek Carr’s backup before Carr was benched and the Raiders named Stidham the starter with two regular-season games left that season. In his first career start on Jan. 1, 2023, Stidham completed 23 of 34 passes for 365 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in an overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Broncos signed Stidham to a two-year deal in 2023. He again spent the first 15 games of the season as a backup — this time for Russell Wilson — before Wilson was benched and he started the final two games of that season.

Stidham then competed with Nix for the starting job in 2024, with the Broncos giving the nod to their first-round pick. Nix has started all 36 regular-season and playoff games since arriving in Denver.

Stidham, who re-signed on another two-year deal this offseason, appeared in one game this season, entering for the final snap in a 44-24 Broncos win over the Dallas Cowboys in October. In his career, Stidham has completed 117 passes on 197 attempts (59.4 percent) for 1,422 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Now, Stidham will get the nod for the Broncos’ first trip to the AFC Championship Game since the 2015 season, when Peyton Manning and Denver beat the New England Patriots en route to winning Super Bowl 50.