Denver Broncos left tackle Garrett Bolles believes that if he were protecting Bo Nix's blindside instead of Jarrett Stidham's during the team's 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the result would've been different.
While Bolles shared a positive message on Stidham, it's clear he felt the Stephenville High School product's replacement on the Plains back in 2019 would've sealed the deal and gotten the Broncos back to their first Super Bowl in a decade.
“I’m saying it would be a different outcome if we had our starting quarterback. I think it was devastating for all of us when that happened — I thought it wasn’t true. Bo took us there. He had a phenomenal year and when you lose a guy like that that’s a leader of your group, not just the O-line, but your team. His confidence level, his swagger, his ability to run and see the open field in different ways — it’s a tough piece to lose," Bolles said on the NFL Daily podcast.
“Stiddy did everything he can. Love that dude; I’m so grateful he came in and handled the business he did, but it would be a different ball game if we had our quarterback. I’ll tell you this: If we had Bo Nix, it would be a different ballgame."
Jarrett Stidham likely needs to leave Broncos to be a starting QB
More than likely, Stidham's NFL future in the Mile High City is as a backup. It's clear that there's a seismic gap in how much the team trusts Nix relative to how much they trust Stidham, who is on his third team since being drafted by New England in 2019.
Had Stidham had a notable performance in the AFC title game and did the unthinkable in sending Denver to Super Bowl LX to face the Seattle Seahawks instead of the boring game we ended up getting, perhaps the conversation would be about Stidham needing an immediate new home to be someone's QB1. Maybe Nix's name would've even entered trade talks.
Instead, Nix's place as the Broncos' franchise pillar is secured. As is Stidham as a perennial backup, unfortunately.