7 Backup QBs That Made Their First Starts Of The Year In NFL Playoffs And How They Fared

The Denver Broncos received some bad news ahead of an AFC Championship matchup with the New England Patriots this postseason. Starting quarterback Bo Nix will miss the remainder of the NFL Playoffs with an ankle injury.

Jarrett Stidham will take his place. He has not yet started a game this season.

When he takes his first snap under center on Sunday, he’ll become the seventh backup signal caller in league history to make his first start of the year in the postseason.

Backup QBs That Made Their First Start In Playoffs.

Of the six that came before him, only one won that first game. None were successful enough to win the Super Bowl.

That does not bode well for the Broncos, who find themselves two wins away from an NFL title. They’ll look to buck the trend to be the last team standing.

Here, we’ll revisit previous instances, take a look at how passer each fared, and provide a glimpse into the battle that Jarrett Stidham soon faces.

Roger Staubach (1972)

By 1972, Roger Staubach was a household name. He’d already won a Heisman trophy at Navy. He was fresh off a Super Bowl title run with the Cowboys.

In fact, Staubach was a perfect 13-0 as Dallas’s starting quarterback in ’71. He suffered a shoulder injury prior to the ’72 campaign that forced him to the sidelines.

Though he did appear in four games throughout the year, he did not make a start in the regular season. His first time taking the game’s first snap came in the NFC Championship against rival Washington.

Unfortunately, it didn’t go all that well. Staubach was held to 98 yards passing while completing just 45% of his attempts. He was unable to lead the offense to the endzone as the Cowboys lost the game, 26-3.

Staubach would return to his starting role the next season, leading Dallas back to the postseason. He’d win his second Super Bowl a few years later in 1977 before being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Gary Danielson (1983)

Danielson was a veteran in Detroit by 1983 after signing with the organization in 1976. By that point in time, he’d already gotten his feet wet as a rookie, been promoted to starter, and been relegated back to a reserve role.

In the 1980 season, he started all 16 games for the Lions. The team went 9-7 but missed the playoffs. Two years later, Danielson guided the team to the postseason by starting five of nine games in a strike-shortened campaign and winning his regular season finale.

Despite punching the Lions’ ticket, he was benched for Eric Hipple in the playoffs. Hipple would go onto start the next 17 games. He took Detroit back to the postseason in 1983 but hurt his knee before the Divisional Round.

Gary Danielson stepped in to make his first start of that season. It went poorly. The quarterback tossed five interceptions in a 24-23 loss.

He’d briefly regain his starting role the following year, before splitting time again with Hipple in 1985.

Frank Reich (1992)

The Buffalo Bills went 11-5 in 1992 to finish second in the AFC East and make the NFL Playoffs. Starting quarterback Jim Kelly guided the team to that regular season success.

Unfortunately, he was injured in the finale forcing Buffalo to turn to backup Frank Reich in the Wildcard Round. He did not disappoint.

Reich won his first start of the season in dramatic fashion, leading the team back from a 35-3 deficit to beat the Oilers. He threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns on the day.

His run didn’t end there, though. He was again called upon for a Divisional Round matchup vs. Pittsburgh. Reich picked up another victory with a two-touchdown performance on the road.

He was benched for Jim Kelly in the Conference Championship, and though he wouldn’t start the Super Bowl, he did return to the field to throw for 194 yards in a loss to the Cowboys.

Joe Webb (2012)

The Vikings won 10 games in 2012 to make the postseason. Reserve signal caller Joe Webb was not a major contributor in that success. During the regular season, he appeared in just one game taking three snaps. Things changed drastically in the playoffs.

Starter Christian Ponder suffered an elbow injury ahead of the team’s first postseason matchup. Webb got the call. He’d play respectably, but not well enough to pull out a win over the Packers.

The quarterback totaled 180 yards passing on just 11 completions. He also ran for 68 yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception in a 24-10 loss.

Interestingly enough, it would be his last start as an NFL quarterback. The next year, he transitioned to wide receiver where he’d spend the remainder of his 10-year pro career.

Connor Cook (2016)

Cook was a rookie in the 2016 campaign for the Oakland Raiders. He was not expected be called upon in the team’s most crucial contest.

It was Derek Carr who led the Raiders to 12 wins and a second-place finish in the AFC West. He broke his leg in a Week 16 win over Indianapolis.

Reserve Matt McGloin started the regular season finale but was unable to finish before also going down with an injury. That set the stage for Connor Cook.

The passer came in to finish a Week 17 loss Denver, throwing for 150 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

He then started his first contest of the year in the NFL Playoffs. Cook struggled in a two-score loss to the Texans, completing just 18-of-45 attempts for 161 yards and three picks.

It would be his last appearance as an NFL player.

Taylor Heinicke (2020)

The 2020 Washington Football Team slipped into the postseason despite a less-than-stellar 7-9 overall record. They were forced to rely on an unexpected contributor in their first playoff game.

Three other quarterbacks started under center for the team that season. They included Kyle Allen, Dwayne Haskins, and Alex Smith.

Smith got the call in the regular season finale but was unable to go in the postseason opener due to a calf injury. Allen had already been knocked out of the lineup with a season-ending setback.

Haskins, despite having starting experience, was relegated to bench duty. Taylor Heinicke got the playoff nod against the Bucs and played well.

The signal caller threw for over 300 yards. He also rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown. Still, the team fell to Tampa Bay by a final score of 31-23.

Heinicke would go onto start 24 more games in Washington over the next two seasons, going 12-11-1.

Jarrett Stidham (2025)

Stidham will become the seventh NFL quarterback to make his first start of the season in the playoffs. To this point, he’s taken just four snaps and hasn’t thrown a pass in 2025.

Bo Nix led the team in the regular season, guiding Denver to a No. 1 overall seed in the AFC bracket. He broke his ankle on the final play of an overtime win vs. Buffalo in the Divisional Round.

That opens the door for Jarrett Stidham. He has started in the past. The sixth-year passer made a pair of starts for the Raiders in 2022, and two more the following year for the Broncos.

He’s gone 1-3 in those opportunities. Stidham has not thrown a pass in an NFL regular season game in two seasons. He’ll get his next chance to do so against the Patriots in the AFC Championship.