‘Tough as hell’ Jarrett Stidham won’t be intimidated by making his first NFL start

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 | 2 a.m.

When the Raiders first convened for mini-camp over the summer, most of the offensive players were admittedly overwhelmed if not altogether lost by new coach Josh McDaniels’ scheme.

Then there was Jarrett Stidham. Despite the fact that the fourth-year veteran had just come to the franchise via trade and was fighting to make the roster as a backup, he immediately asserted himself on the practice field.

“We were coming in trying to learn formations and everything, and he’s like out there calling ‘Mike!’ and doing everything,” tight end Darren Waller reflected this week. “He’s somebody where we had comments like, ‘OK, he knows what he’s doing.’ Guys have been asking him questions. We believe in him for sure.”

The Raiders have no choice but to believe in Stidham now, after McDaniels announced him as the starter for the final two games of the year beginning Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. The moment is a long time in the making for the 26-year-old from Stephenville, Texas, as he’s worked with McDaniels for the last four years dreaming of the opportunity that now imminently awaits him.

Stidham has never played under a different NFL playcaller as McDaniels served as the offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots in the quarterback’s first three seasons after the franchise drafted him in the fourth round out of Auburn.

With that familiarity comes comfort, and a conviction in himself that eclipses even the high praise he’s drawn from teammates.

“I’ve always had confidence in my ability to make plays, throw the football and facilitate the offense,” Stidham said. “It’s my job and I’ve worked hard at it.”

He just hasn’t gotten to throw the football yet at the professional level with a career stat line of 342 passing yards while completing 32 of 61 attempts compiled almost entirely in garbage time. But Stidham got a larger workload this preseason where he went 29-for-46 passing with 316 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns.

Those performances helped to separate him from Nick Mullens, Stidham’s primary competition to become Derek Carr’s backup going into the season, and win over his teammates. But it’s practice where the Raiders have said they’ve learned the most about Stidham over the last year.

“He’s tough as hell: When he’s out there, he’s kind of an (expletive),” edge rusher Maxx Crosby joked Thursday. “I respect it. He’s talking a little bit. He’s amped up and he’s always willing to try to make a play so I love that. He’s a competitor at heart and you can tell. You can either fake it or be really about it and he really is. It fires me up. I’m excited for him.”

Crosby did not mean his anticipation to see Stidham in action as a slight to the benched Carr. Far from it, Crosby and Carr are close friends and exchanged expensive jewelry as Christmas gifts a day before the latter mutually left the team.

Crosby’s bummed-for-Carr-but-hyped-for Stidham attitude was representative of the whole locker room a day after McDaniels announced the change. The silence and "shock," in slot receiver Hunter Renfrow's words, by most of the players on Wednesday had turned to the usual clamor and laughs on Thursday.

Stidham spoke to the media for the first time since being named the starter, and a handful of teammates stopped by his locker to joke with him about the attention.

“You dream of playing in the NFL as a kid and starting a game in the NFL so it’s a dream come true but at the same time I’ve been preparing since my rookie year,” Stidham said. “I’ve tried to prepare the same every week whether I was the backup or the starter…I’ve always tried to treat the weeks the same and it’s no different this week.”

Practice is at least a little different though. Going against the scout team this week after a year as playing as part of it and against the first-team defense is a big change.

It must be nice for Stidham to not have Crosby bearing down on him every play.

“I promise you nobody’s thrown with more guys around him and in his face in practice than he has this year in the NFL,” McDaniels said of Stidham. “Crosby buzzes the tower almost every play and so do the other guys.”

Stidham has gotten enough looks in practice, and now it all comes down to how it translates in the game. The Raiders aren’t stressing about it as top receiver Davante Adams said Stidham could benefit from “playing loose” as an inexperienced quarterback.

Although Carr is away from the team, Stidham said the pair chatted earlier this week. He didn’t want to divulge much of their conversation but said Carr emphasized staying even-keeled to him no matter the circumstances.

It’s a piece of advice Stidham took to heart but potentially one he might not have even needed. From his first time on the practice field in Las Vegas, Stidham has shown that nerves aren’t an issue.

“It’s like anything in life: When you do something repetitively over and over again, you just get comfortable,” Stidham said. “I’ve got to follow my rules and try to get the ball in these guys’ hands and do my job. That’s something I’ve been trying to prepare hard for, and that’s all I can do.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or