jarrett Stidham will join a pretty unique group of quarterbacks if the Denver Broncos defeat the New England Patriots in Sunday’s AFC Championship.
Stidham — who will replace Bo Nix in the starting lineup following Nix’s season-ending ankle injury that was sustained in this past week’s divisional round playoff win over the buffalo Bills — would become the 13th backup quarterback in NFL history to start in a Super Bowl. Of the previous 12, eight backup quarterbacks ended up hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy by game’s end.
None of those players, though, started in their respective conference championship game without having started in any other game that season, which is what stidham will do on Sunday. actually, the 29-year-old Stidham hasn’t made a start in a non-exhibition game as 2023 and has not attempted a pass in a non-exhibition game in over two years.
Given his lack of recent game reps, you could argue that Stidham would pull off one of the most impressive feats in NFL history if he is able to help the Broncos defeat the visiting Patriots. In doing so, he would also join the following list of backup quarterbacks who started on pro football’s biggest stage.
Earl Morrall, Colts: 1968
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Owner of one of the most unique careers in NFL history, Morrall was 34 and living the life of a veteran backup when an injury to reigning league MVP Johnny Unitas thrust him into the Colts’ starting lineup ahead of the 1968 season.
Morrall ran with the chance as he won league MVP honors while leading the colts to a 15-1 record entering their Super Bowl showdown with the 18-point underdog New York Jets, who were led by their brash young quarterback, Joe Namath.
Namath guaranteed victory prior to the game, and he and his teammates backed it up by recording a shocking 16-7 win over the Colts to secure the AFL’s first win over the NFL. Morrall threw three interceptions before he was replaced by Unitas, who led Baltimore to its onyl points of the game.
Ironically, Morrall replaced an injured Unitas two years later in Super Bowl V and helped the Colts capture their first Super Bowl win. Two years after that, he won each of his starts with the Dolphins after replacing inj
After several rocky seasons with the Patriots (who selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft) and 49ers, Plunkett began the 1980 season as a backup on a Raiders team that wasn’t expected to be very good.
But an injury to Dan Pastorini five weeks into the season set in motion one of the most unexpected team and individual turnarounds in history. After throwing five interceptions in his first game following Pastorini’s injury, Plunkett won his first six starts and would end up going 9-4 as the Raiders’ starter during the regular season.His success helped the Raiders clinch a playoff berth with an 11-5 record.
In the playoffs, the Oakland defeated the Oilers (who were quarterbacked by Kenny Stabler, a former Raiders legend who was traded to Houston that season in exchange for Pastorini, who had led the Oilers to consecutive AFC title game appearances prior to being dealt), the cardiac Browns (a win that included the infamous Red Right 88 play) and dan Fouts and the Chargers‘ high-scoring offense to reach the Super Bowl.
Underdogs heading into their Super Bowl showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Raiders dominated the game from start to finish. Plunkett took home MVP honors after throwing for 261 yards and three touchdowns as the Raiders became the first wild card team to win it all.
Three years later, Plunkett and the Raiders once again reached the mountaintop after defeating defending champion Washington in Super Bowl XVIII.
Doug Williams, Washington: 1987
Williams, despite losing both of his regular-season starts, was named Washington’s starter going into the 1987 playoffs over Jay Schroeder, a Pro Bowler the previous season who went 8-2 as Washington’s starter that season. Williams (who had dealt with injuries during the regular season) earned the starting job after replacing a struggling Schroeder and leading Washington to a win over the Vikings in washington’s regular-season finale.
A former first-round pick, Williams was back in the spotlight eight years after he helped lead the Buccaneers to their first NFC title game appearance. Now 32, Williams made the most of his new opportunity, helping Washington defeat the Bears and Vikings in the NFC playoffs before he and his teammates obliterated the Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.
Williams’ and washington’s performance that day was nothing short of historic. Trailing 10-0 after the first quarter, Washington scored a Super Bowl record 35 points in the second quarter that included four touchdown passes from Williams, who threw for a then-Super Bowl record 340 yards in leading Washington to a 42-10 win. Williams was named MVP after becoming the first starting Black quarterback to win the super Bowl.
Jeff Hostetler, Giants: 1990
In his seventh season at the time, Hostetler had grown tired of sitting on the bench after making just two starts during his first six seasons. It got to the point where he had made up his mind that he would retire after the 1990 season.
Hostetler’s career took a drastic turn, however, in Week 15 after Phil Simms went down with a season-ending injury. But despite injuries to Simms and star rookie running back Rodney Hampton, Hostetler
ring came at Warner and the Rams’ expense after he led the Patriots to what was at the time the greatest upset in Super Bowl history as the Jets’ win over the Colts 33 years earlier.
After Warner and the Rams rallied to tie the score, Brady defied the odds (and legendary broadcaster John Madden included) by not playing for overtime and rather driving the Patriots into field goal range in the game’s closing minute. His five completions on New England’s final drive set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 48-yard kick as time expired.
Brady’s incredible career may not have happened if not for Drew Bledsoe’s injury that occurred way back in Week 2 of the 2001 season. Brady,a second-year player at the time,had thrown just three career passes before taking over for Bledsoe and the 0-2 Patriots.
To the surprise of everyone, Brady gave the patriots an immediate jolt that included a blowout win over Peyton Manning’s Colts in his first career start. And despite a loss to the Rams that dropped the Patriots to 5-5 and Bledsoe being cleared to return to action, Bill Belichick decided to stick with Brady as his starter for the remainder of the season.
That decision proved to change the course of NFL history. Brady and the Patriots never lost again that season while beginning one the longest stained run of success the league has ever seen. That run, however, did include one last moment of brilliance from Bledsoe, who led the Patriots to a win over Pittsburgh in the 2001 AFC title game after relieving an injured Brady.
Jack Delhomme, Panthers: 2003
Delhomme had a cup of coffee as the Panthers’ backup in 2003 before replacing veteran Rodney Peete in the starting lineup during Carolina’s season-opener.Down 17-0, Delhomme led Carolina to a come-from-behind win that day against the Jaguars and never looked back.
Carolina started 5-0 and finished the regular season with an 11-5 record. Delhomme played well in the regular season, but he took his play to another level in the postseason. He led the NFL with six touchdown passes during the playoffs while leading the Panthers to playoff wins over the Cowboys, Rams and Eagles.Delhomme took full advantage of Carolina’s talented skill set that included wideouts Mushin Muhammad, Steve Smith jr., and running back Stephen Davis.
In the Super Bowl, Delhomme and Brady exchanged blows in one of the most explosive fourth quarters in Super Bowl history. During the quarter, Delhomme fired two touchdown passes that included the game-tying score with 1:08 left.
Brady, though, once again had the final say as he led the Patriots on a last-minute drive that ended with another game-winning kick by Vinatieri.
While 2003 was the pinnacle of his career, Delhomme did have several more Pro Bowl level seasons while enjoying a lengthy NFL career.
Colin Kaepernick,49ers: 2012
In his second year at the time,
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