With most of the starters sitting out for both teams Denver Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham threw a pair of touchdown passes to Troy Franklin in a 27-7 rout of the Arizona Cardinals

Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham's 27-yard touchdown connection with wide receiver Troy Franklin is picturesque.

The Denver Broncos took a 14-7 lead over the Arizona Cardinals in the second quarter of their preseason showdown at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday evening when quarterback Jarrett Stidham connected with wide receiver Troy Franklin on a 27-yard touchdown pass.

Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham finds wide receiver Pat Bryant down the field for a 29-yard pickup against the Cardinals.

Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham and Troy Franklin reconnect on a 17-yard back shoulder touchdown catch.

He was a man of his word. On the first play from scrimmage, Stidham hit running back RJ Harvey in the flat for a couple of yards. On the second play, Stidham rolled out and found Engram on a drag — and the free-agent tight end promptly went galloping down the right sideline for 58 yards.

Stidham competed for the starting quarterback job with Bo Nix last summer and then spent the 2024 season as the team's QB2 after Nix won QB1 duties. After the game on Saturday, Stidham was asked about recalibrating and being the No. 2 quarterback behind Nix in 2025.

Preseason hype for Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has died down considerably following his shaky performance against the San Francisco 49ers. Media and fans