Peyton Manning is ‘pulling hard’ for Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham on Sunday
Jan 22, 2026, 12:18 PM | Updated: 12:18 pm
Former Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning knows a thing or two about winning a big game.
And when he talks, Broncos Country listens.
That was the case on Thursday morning when Manning joined “Stokley and Evans with Mark Schlereth” on Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan.
The guys covered a variety of topics and the whole interview is worth your time, but Manning’s thoughts on Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham were interesting.
Stidham will start for the injured Bo Nix in the AFC Title Game against the Patriots this Sunday. Manning said he’s known Stidham for quite a bit of time and that he went the Manning football camp in Louisiana while he was the QB at Auburn. Manning and Stidham also played golf together last summer with Broncos legend Terrell Davis.
“He’s a great guy. Look, he’s very confident because he puts the work in. Obviously, he hasn’t been on the field and he’s not trying to make you think he’s played more than he has. He’s honest about how much he’s played. But you hear his teammates talk about how hard he prepares, so I think he’s able to play all season because he puts the time in,” Manning said.
Manning added that he’s heard Stidham is in the facility just as much as Nix, which tell hims that Stidham is a “true pro.” No. 18 also reached out to Stidham a few days ago.
“I shot him a text on Sunday when I heard the news like everybody else and wished him luck and he said ‘looking forward to a fun weekend.’ So, he’s excited about the opportunity and obviously hates it for Bo, like all of us do. But it’s a great opportunity for him and I’m pulling hard for him,” Manning said.
He went on to talk about how Broncos head coach Sean Payton has a good feel for Stidham and he’s an excellent play-caller, which will be advantages for Denver. Manning hopes the team busts out all the stops to try to make it to the Super Bowl.
“I know one thing, don’t hold anything back in this game. You’ve got a good play, you’ve got a trick play, you got something you think might work, go for it. Because it’s a long offseason if you don’t win this game, so might as well go for it,” Manning said.
And as far as a lot of people writing off the Broncos, Manning thinks Payton can use that as fuel.
“I think Sean’s gonna rally the troops. I think the fact the Broncos are underdogs, Sean’s gonna use that to the Broncos advantage and kind of tell the team that nobody thinks they can win,” Manning said. “I see it being a great football game.”
It was another excellent interview with Manning, and he certainly sounds like a guy who believes the Broncos can find a way to get this done.
The full segment is on YouTube, about three hours into the show on Thursday morning.
