Jarrett Stidham will start in Bo Nix’s spot at quarterback in the AFC Championship Game, but the Denver Broncos are adding some depth at the position.
Ben DiNucci has signed a deal to join the Broncos’ practice squad, he confirmed in a social media post on Sunday.
“It has come to my attention that a team may be in need of my services… Good thing my schedule is open this week,” DiNucci wrote. “Broncos country… Let’s go get a Super Bowl ?”
In the social media post, DiNucci included an image of himself when he was with the Broncos in 2023. But he hasn’t played a regular-season snap since he was a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. He also hasn’t been on a roster since the Atlanta Falcons waived him during preliminary training camp cuts in August.
In fact, DiNucci was actually analyzing the impact of Nix’s season-ending ankle injury for the Broncos in a broadcast for CBS Sports on Saturday. DiNucci, 29, has also spent time in training camp or on a practice squad with the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints since his last NFL start. On top of that, DiNucci spent a season with the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton has iterated that Stidham will be under center for next Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. It’ll mark Stidham’s first start since 2023. Sam Ehlinger is also slated to be Stidham’s primary backup after getting called up from the practice squad earlier in January.
In terms of what other options the Broncos could turn to at quarterback for the remainder of the playoffs, the list is slim. They can’t sign any quarterback who finished their season on an active roster. So, Philip Rivers won’t be able to make another legendary comeback, for instance. They also can’t add a quarterback who’s on an opposing team’s reserve/retired list, like Derek Carr. Carr is on the Saints’ reserve/retired list after announcing his retirement in March.
The only quarterbacks the Broncos can sign are players who ended the 2025 NFL regular season as a free agent. Drew Brees, for instance, could sign with the Broncos and reunite with his former Saints coach as no NFL team holds his contract rights.
But Payton has expressed confidence in Stidham ahead of the backup quarterback’s first playoff start.
“There’d be practices where I’m looking at [defensive coordinator] Vance [Joseph] and getting (mad) as a result of Stiddy’s making our protection look dangerous,” Payton informed reporters. “He’s very correct. He’s acquired rather a lot to his ball.”
Stidham will truly go up in opposition to a Patriots crew that chosen him within the fourth spherical of the 2019 NFL Draft. Payton stated that he had his eyes on probably drafting Stidham when he was nonetheless with the Saints.
“I do know precisely how he was coached in New England, after which I understand how [Patriots offensive coordinator Josh] McDaniels felt about him when he introduced him from New England to Vegas. After which I do know reviews on how he performed after which we noticed him play in actual time,” Payton stated.
“However in the end … it’s our three years right here and our three years watching him day in and day trip … And so he can be able to go and prepared for the second.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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