Jarrett Stidham makes his case to remain Bo Nix's backup with a strong showing vs. Falcons

Call me desperate, but I'm starved for football right now, and because of that, I'm absolutely locked into the NFL preseason. I know these games don't count, but after months of rewatching last season's games and trying to glean new details, it's nice to have the live football itch scratched.

On Friday night, that itch was scratched by the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons, a game that featured former Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

Stidham was magnificent against the Falcons, and he wasted no time getting things rolling. On the opening drive of the game, he found Courtland Sutton deep in the red zone, a throw that was about a foot away from being a touchdown toss.

He sliced and diced the Atlanta defense, completing 6 of his 8 attempts for 122 yards in the first quarter. Then, early in the second, he finally found the end zone, hitting Jaleel McLaughlin on a short completion that the Broncos tailback took across the goal line.

Stidham finished the night 9/15 for 131 yards and a score. It was an impressive showing for the former Tiger passer. We likely won't see much of him past the preseason, but Stidham made the most of this opportunity to remain in front of Sam Ehlinger on the depth chart.

READ MORE: Bo Nix makes huge declaration about his playing style following ankle surgeries

Jarrett Stidham firmly behind Bo Nix in Auburn-heavy Broncos QB room

It's rare to see Stidham toss the pigskin around now. In fact, Stidham hasn't thrown a regular-season pass in the league since 2023. It's another former Auburn passer, Bo Nix, who has locked down this starting job in pretty definite fashion.

Nix didn't take the field on Friday in Atlanta, but he has thrived in his first two NFL seasons. Under the tutelage of Broncos head coach Sean Payton, Nix has thrown for 7,706 yards and 54 touchdowns since entering the league, and now in year three, he's poised to take a huge step forward.

The Broncos have become a favorite NFL team for Auburn fans to watch on Sundays, and for good reason. It's enjoyable to see two guys who played well on the Plains take that success to the NFL, and it's interesting to see Nix and Stidham, two guys whose Auburn careers didn't cross over, working together on the sidelines. Denver's orange and blue color scheme doesn't hurt.

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