ENGLEWOOD — A morning sun casts an orange light across Broncos headquarters when quarterback Jarrett Stidham, among the first players to do so, walks inside before practice.

It’s Stiddy Time.

The relatively unknown 29-year-old Kentucky native with bouncy dark curls and a megawatt smile steps into the national spotlight on Sunday afternoon at Empower Field. Stidham makes his first NFL start in more than two years for the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots.

“You have to have trust in the guys around you,” Stidham tells a huge crowd of reporters on Thursday after practice at Broncos Park.

Maximum pressure?

Not if you ask his teammates.

The Denver Gazette sought to understand why confidence permeates the locker room — despite the absence of starting quarterback Bo Nix, who underwent ankle surgery Tuesday — with a behind-the-scenes perspective of “Stiddy.”

His daily routine begins in the early hours of game week.

Wide receiver Michael Bandy understands Stidham better than most teammates. He’s a staple of the Broncos’ practice squad dating back to 2023. That means plenty of scout team repetitions with Stidham at quarterback.

Bandy tells The Denver Gazette that Stidham is “one of my best friends” on the team.

“He’s a great locker room guy. He’s fantastic,” Bandy says. “I spend every morning with him watching film.”

Broncos newcomers like tight end Evan Engram were introduced in Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and training camp. Stidham is a self-described “vibes guy” who brings music and laughter into Denver’s locker room. He also dominated in two preseason game appearances. Stidham completed 30 of 38 passes for 376 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

“He’s very himself,” Engram says. “His personality is very loud. He brightens up the room when he walks into it. When it’s time to ball, he can turn it up. I saw it up close and personal this preseason. I know you guys have seen it, too.”

Stidham, in his seventh NFL season, has also embraced a leadership role.

Second-year inside linebacker Levelle Bailey recalls a training camp practice, in which Stidham offered him valuable advice.

“I remember in camp, me getting my hands on the ball,” Bailey tells The Denver Gazette. “(Stidham) pulled me aside personally and was like, ‘Man, keep being around that ball. You’re going to stay in this league.’”

“You can tell he’s a vet, just being out there,” Bailey adds.

Defensive end Zach Allen describes Stidham as “like a second quarterback coach on the field.” That much was evident during timeouts this season, when quarterbacks coach Davis Webb huddled with Nix. Stidham was always within earshot.

“If the QB coach is going to say something to Bo, he’s going to be right in his ear,” Bandy says. “Either listening or saying what he sees. You see it all the time. He’s definitely an extended coach, for sure.”

Wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey adds: “Stiddy sees everything. He’s been around some of the greatest coaches, especially the past three years with Coach Payton.”

“He sees the game well. He gave us advice when he wasn’t out there. Now, he’s out there to do his thing,” Humphrey tells The Denver Gazette.

Broncos teammates are all-in on “Stiddy Mania,” despite being 4.5-point underdogs as the No. 1 AFC playoff seed against No. 2 New England.

Humphrey: “He’s going to sling it, you know what I mean? He’s a great quarterback. He’s put it on the money. He makes the right decisions. So, we’re excited to go out there and ball with him.”

Bailey: “I feel like we have a really great chance. Overly confident going into this week.”

Bandy: “We obviously feel terrible for Bo. It’s an awful thing. But we have the utmost confidence in Stiddy. He’s a baller. It’s as simple as that.”

Broncos coach Sean Payton also exudes confidence in Stiddy. His three years in Payton’s system, despite few live snaps, developed a playbook understanding that is expected to benefit the offense against New England.

One of Stidham’s responsibilities is to identically emulate Nix’s cadence, because, as Payton explains, “One beat off, and we could have a couple false starts.”

“Sean’s been great to me my whole time here,” Stidham says. “Obviously, he was a big reason I decided to come to Denver two years ago, and obviously re-signing this last year. … I’ve learned a ton from him, along with everybody else on the staff.”

Payton describes the Nix-to-Stidham cadence transition as “smooth” after the first practice this week.

“I would say Stidham has that ability to step right in, calm things down, here’s what we’re doing, break the huddle,” Payton says. “Yesterday’s practice was a perfect indication of it.”

Expect Stidham to play with the same aggressive swagger that stood out in preseason play. Now, it’s on display in the biggest game of his NFL career. Stidham is one victory away from the Super Bowl. He appreciates the support of teammates and coaches ahead of his unlikely postseason debut.

“Obviously, it means a lot anytime you step into a situation like this,” Stidham says. “For myself, I just want to go out there and play the absolute best I can for the guys in this locker room. That’s all I really care about. So, yes, it’s great to obviously have the support of the guys around me. Thankfully, I have a ton of amazing guys (and) amazing human beings in the locker room. But also, amazing football players.”

“So, I’m really excited,” he adds.

THE STIDDY FILE

Age: 29

Hometown: Corbin, Kentucky

College: Baylor/Auburn

NFL seasons: Seven

Career NFL stats: 117 of 197 passing for 1,422 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Quotable: “I think we’ll just see how the game unfolds. That’s obviously up to Sean how he wants to call the game to start out. Just really excited to get out there. I think once the ball is snapped, (after) that first play, it’s just football at that point. So, it’ll be fun.” — Stidham