Quarterback Jarrett Stidham said he switched his AFC West address from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Denver Broncos in NFL Free Agency primarily for an opportunity to work with “mastermind” Sean Payton.
Payton became the Broncos’ coach that offseason after taking a season off. Prior to his year as a television analyst, Payton spent 15 seasons managing the New Orleans Saints.
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“I think the most important thing was Coach Payton,” Stidham said of his move to Denver. “I’ve been a huge fan of his and his time in New Orleans since I was a little kid whenever he coached Drew Brees over the years. Really, that was probably the main reason – to play under him and work with him every day, I’m really, really looking forward to it.”
In his fifth NFL season, Stidham said he’s “just going to try to keep improving my game. Be diverse in the different things we do. Joining a thought leader like Coach Payton was exactly what I wanted, so it’s worked out great and I’m happy to be here.
Payton and the Broncos brought in Stidham to assist Russell Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler who is enduring the worst season of his career.
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After ending his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks with four consecutive seasons with a passing efficiency rating of 103 or higher, Wilson’s rating at the top of the lowest-scoring NFL offense fell to 84.4 in his freshman season in Denver .
The Broncos finished 5-12 in 2022, last set a winning record in 2016, and have lost at least 10 games (and they lost nine in the exception) in five of the six intervening seasons.
But with Payton coming on board with a career record of 152-89 and a Super Bowl ring, Stidham has a different view of Denver than he would have in recent seasons.
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“Things are just going in the right direction here and I’m excited to be a part of it,” Stidham said.
Stidham signed his contract with the Broncos on Thursday. Denver reportedly got the quarterback moving during free agency for a Two-year deal that included $5 million in guaranteed money.
Stidham left Las Vegas after the first two starts of his NFL career.
The former Auburn standout completed 53 of 83 passes for 656 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions, and rushed for 84 yards with 14 carries against two of the NFL’s best teams as the Raiders lost 37-34 to the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 14 . 1 and 31-13 against the Kansas City Chiefs on January 7th. Stidham became the second player in NFL history with at least 350 passing yards and three touchdown passes in his first start.
Stidham made the beginnings as the first steps in the Raiders’ plans to part ways with Derek Carr, the franchise’s nine-season quarterback. Carr was released from Las Vegas last month and he signed with the New Orleans Saints.
The Raiders brought Stidham in a trade with the New England Patriots last offseason and reunited him with Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels, who had been Stidham’s offensive coordinator in his first three NFL seasons.
But the Raiders appeared reluctant to allow Stidham to continue the offense into 2023. Instead, Las Vegas signed Jimmy Garoppolo, another free-agent quarterback who spent his first three NFL seasons with McDaniels in New England.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1
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