Backup quarterback value is at an all-time high.
One of the primary lessons of an upside-down NFL season that featured many of the favored preseason contenders out of the playoff picture, including the Kansas City Chiefs, has been the value of having a QB2 who can get the job done. Numerous teams have learned that lesson the hard way, and the AFC Championship was just the latest example.
The Denver Broncos hosted the New England Patriots at Mile High in the conference championship on Sunday afternoon for a chance to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LX. The Broncos' vaunted defense did its job, holding MVP candidate Drake Maye and the rest of the Pats offense to 10 points for the entire game. However, it still wasn't enough as the Patriots held the home team to a mere touchdown and are now headed to Santa Clara, California.
It's hard for Broncos fans (and everyone else watching the game) not to wonder "what might have been?" if Bo Nix had been healthy. The Broncos' starting quarterback enjoyed a strong second season in the NFL, having clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason with a 14-3 record in '25. However, Nix fractured his ankle at the end of the divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills, and just like that, the Broncos hit the same wall as so many other teams this season.
Denver’s Super Bowl hopes ended with a harsh truth about life without a trusted backup quarterback.
Jarrett Stidham was the man under center for the Broncos in such a high-stakes game. That's not where any team wants to find itself, with a backup quarterback throwing his first NFL pass in more than two years for the chance to make a Super Bowl appearance. Unfortunately, it's hard enough for most teams to find a good enough starting quarterback these days, let alone to have a promising arm waiting in the wings.
The Kansas City Chiefs were fighting for any potential scrap of hope late in the season in Week 15 when Patrick Mahomes was lost with a torn ACL against the L.A. Chargers. Just like that, the offense tanked, and the Chiefs would go on to lose every game remaining on the calendar. That losing streak included a 17-point loss to the Tennessee Titans and a season-ending two-point defeat at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders. Both teams were among the very worst in the NFL all season long.
It's not just AFC West teams that watched in horror as their backups went to work under center. The Baltimore Ravens looked lost without Lamar Jackson for multiple games. The Washington Commanders completely fell apart without Jayden Daniels. The Cincinnati Bengals were buried early in the year without Joe Burrow leading the offense. The Indianapolis Colts went from contenders to pretenders the moment Daniel Jones was lost for the year. The list goes on and on.
It's rare that a backup quarterback can hold things together. The Houston Texans somehow found a hot streak with Davis Mills under center, but that was mostly on the strength of their league-leading defense and Mills' penchant for ball security. Other than that, it was mostly a deep dive in the standings for any team that was unlucky enough to see their quarterback injured.
For the Chiefs, the injury woes will continue into next season, with questions about Mahomes' ability to return from an ACL injury hovering over the Chiefs' offseason. Gardner Minshew was the backup, but he didn't last a single game before being lost for the year to injury himself. Given that he was only signed to a one-year deal for 2025, the Chiefs are facing nothing but questions at QB heading into next season.
Broncos players will be feeling the painful sting of an opportunity missed for the next several months, in large part because it's nearly impossible to find a team with a backup quarterback who could handle such an assignment. That's not a knock on Stidham; rather, it's just the reality for any team who loses its starter. The Chiefs know this well, but the Broncos are feeling it most.