It might be appropriate to call this weekend’s conference championships a Tale of Four Quarterbacks.
That’s because each quarterback — Seahawks’ Sam Darnold, Rams’ Matthew Stafford, Broncos’ Jarrett Stidham, and Patriots’ Drake Maye — is dealing with his own form of internal pressure.
Sam Darnold
Let’s start with Darnold.
Once again, he finds himself facing the Rams in the playoffs. Only this time, a win means he and his Seahawks teammates will punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
The problem is, the Rams positively crushed (and humiliated) Darnold in last year’s playoffs after he’d had a breakout year in Minnesota with 4,319 passing yards, 35 TDs, and just 12 picks.
During that fateful game, Darnold was sacked nine times and beaten black and blue by the Rams’ relentless defense. That nightmare came after getting hammered by the Lions the previous week — another must-win game.
The burning question here is a straightforward one: can Darnold exorcise last year’s playoff demons and lead the Seahawks to the Super Bowl?
It will be fascinating to see if he can overcome the bad memories of the Rams debacle and perform like the quarterback who threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns this past season.
Matt Stafford
Then there’s the QB on the other side of the field: Stafford.
There’s no other way to put it — he had a monster year in 2025: 4,707 passing yards and 46 TDs against only eight interceptions.
And despite not having his best stuff last week against the Bears, he found a way to grind out a win and lift the Rams to a berth in the NFC Championship game.
Still, Stafford is under intense pressure. The consensus choice for league MVP, he must perform to that high standard again — and lead the Rams to the Super Bowl.
A win there would also cement his legacy as one of the best QBs to ever lace it up in the NFL. That’s a lot of pressure, no matter how great this past season has been.
Jarrett Stidham
Over in the AFC, it’s the Broncos against the Patriots — and Jarrett Stidham versus Drake Maye at quarterback.
Jarrett Stidham?
Yep, no misprint there. Stidham, the former Patriot. Stidham, who hasn’t started a game in over two years. Jarrett Stidham, who did not throw one pass this past season.
And Jarrett Stidham, who was once seen as the possible successor to Tom Brady in New England. Since then, he’s bounced around the NFL as a career backup.
And now — suddenly, with starter Bo Nix out due to a fractured right ankle — he has his chance.
Sure, Sean Payton will prepare a game plan suited to Stidham — likely quite conservative. The message will be to manage the game, limit turnovers, and let the Broncos’ vaunted defense win it.
Make no mistake: Stidham is under a ton of pressure.
Not only will he be charged with the responsibility of essentially playing not to lose, but deep inside, he’ll want to prove to the Patriots that they made a mistake in letting him go — that he has what it takes to shine under pressure. The odds may not be with him in this endeavor, but we will soon see.
Drake Maye
Finally, there’s Maye.
If Stafford hadn’t put up a masterclass at quarterback this past season, Maye would likely be the leading candidate for league MVP. Numbers like 4,394 yards passing, 31 TDs, and just eight interceptions will put you in that position.
It’s been a dream season for Maye. He’s led the Pats from rags to riches in just two years. His level of play has been nearly flawless.
But here’s the thing: plenty of people see him as the second coming of Tom Brady. And like it or not — not to disrespect the Pats’ tremendous defense — the Patriots go as he goes.
All the focus will be on him to play near-perfect ball again with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line. As poised as he is, the expectation of a Brady-like performance under such intense pressure is a lot to ask of a 23-year-old in just his second NFL season.
The bottom line?
The two quarterbacks who best handle the internal pressure and the biggest moments will be the ones who lead their teams to Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
