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Nick Foles trolls Patriots with Broncos backup QB Jarrett Stidham starting AFC Championship

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko01/18/26nickkosko59

Former QB Nick Foles trolled the New England Patriots amid the news they’ll play the Denver Broncos and backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham. In next week’s AFC Championship Game, Stidham will make his first playoff start in place of the injured Bo Nix.

But as Foles pointed out, the Patriots have had their struggles with backup quarterbacks in the playoffs. Foles of course, was referring to Super Bowl LII, where he filled in for an injured Carson Wentz and led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 41-33 win over the Patriots.

It was certainly the highlight of Foles’ career and could give the Broncos some hope at home next week. Stidham might not be as experienced as Foles was at the time, but the former Super Bowl MVP claimed he’d be ready, while also trolling New England.

“Note for the Broncos and their fans: I know it has been an emotional 24 hours,” Foles wrote on Twitter/X. “I feel for Bo and the team, and I’m sending prayers for a strong recovery. A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games.”

Foles replaced Wentz near the end of the season after the latter suffered a torn ACL amid an MVP-type campaign. While the journeyman QB and one-time mid-round pick by teh Eagles in 2012 struggled at first, he turned it on in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl. Perhaps Stidham could do the same.

Foles went 28-of-43 for 373 yards, three touchdowns and one interception en route to Super Bowl MVP honors. He wasn’t the only backup to do something remarkable on the biggest stage.

Former New York Giants quarterback Jeff Hostetler famously filled in for Phil Simms and led them to a victory in the Big Game. Stidham is now just two wins away from immortality.

In his career, Stidham is 117-197 passing (59.4%) for 1,422 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is 1-3 as a starter, winning his lone game with the Broncos in 2023.

Stidham was a fourth round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Auburn by the Patriots. After starting his career at Baylor (2015) and sitting out in 2016, Stidham took the reins with the Tigers. Over the course of his college career (30 starts, 37 games), Stidham had 7,217 yards, 48 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 64.3% completion percentage.