After losing Bo Nix to a season-ending ankle injury, the Denver Broncos wasted little time addressing their quarterback depth. According to Adam Schefter, Denver is signing veteran quarterback Ben DiNucci to the practice squad. And once the news surfaced, DiNucci didn’t hesitate to set the tone. Taking to X, he made his expectations clear, and they weren’t modest.

“It has come to my attention that a team may be in need of my services,” DiNucci wrote. “Good thing my schedule is open this week. Broncos country…Let’s go get a Super Bowl?”

A former seventh-round pick, the 29-year-old doesn’t bring much NFL game experience, but he does bring familiarity. DiNucci previously spent time with Denver in 2023 as the team’s third-string quarterback, backing up Russell Wilson and Jarrett Stidham. Outside of Denver, DiNucci has bounced around the league, most recently competing with the Atlanta Falcons during training camp last summer.

And while he’s unlikely to start next week, he enters with a 0–1 record as an NFL starter, having completed 53.5% of his passes for 219 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The timing of the move, though, adds another layer. Just hours ago, DiNucci was doing studio work for CBS and reacting to Nix’s injury. Now, he’s back in uniform, set to join the Broncos on their practice squad.

The Broncos’ decision came after they lost Nix ahead of the AFC Championship round. The second-year quarterback’s injury occurred late in Denver’s Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills. He finished the game 26-of-46 for 279 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while leading a 33–30 overtime victory. The injury came on a quarterback keeper that resulted in a two-yard loss, with Nix being tackled by Bills safety Cole Bishop.

Head coach Sean Payton later confirmed that Nix will undergo season-ending surgery on Tuesday. With the AFC Championship Game up next against the New England Patriots, Denver has moved quickly to stabilize the quarterback room. The starting job, however, belongs to Stidham.

Jarrett Stidham to start against the Patriots after Bo Nix’s injury

“On the second-to-last play in overtime, Bo fractured a bone in his right ankle,” Sean Payton said after the game, addressing Bo Nix’s injury. “He’s scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday of this week, which will put him out for the rest of the season. [Stidham’s] ready to go. Yeah, it was the second to last play before he threw the pass to [Marvin] Mims.”

With that, Denver’s focus has quickly shifted to what comes next, and more specifically, who takes the first snap in the AFC Championship Game. Per reports, that responsibility will fall on backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who is expected to start in Nix’s place against the Patriots. It’s a dramatic turn for a quarterback who hasn’t thrown a regular-season pass for Denver over the past two years, with Nix handling the starting duties throughout that stretch.

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Now, Stidham is staring at the biggest opportunity of his career. Denver will host the Patriots, giving the Broncos a home-field advantage. But the spotlight will be squarely on their quarterback. The situation is rare, and the historical precedent isn’t exactly encouraging.

Since 1950, only six quarterbacks have started a postseason game without starting a single regular-season game that year. Of that group, just one emerged with a win: Frank Reich, who famously replaced Jim Kelly and led the Bills to a historic comeback against the Houston Oilers in the 1992 playoffs.

That’s the challenge in front of Stidham. If he manages to guide Denver to a Super Bowl berth in his first start of the season, he’d join one of the most exclusive groups in NFL history. For now, all eyes are on next week. The Broncos have their quarterback, the matchup is set, and the margin for error is gone.