Broncos Training Camp Battle: Backup QB—More Important Than Ever

This time around, the Denver Broncos aren't on autopilot when it comes to the backup quarterback position. Jarrett Stidham still stands as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart, but the Broncos are going to make him earn it this time.

For the first time since signing in Denver back in 2023, Stidham isn't being handed the QB2 job. Sam Ehlinger has been given the opportunity to win the job in training camp and the preseason.

What changed? Two things, and they go hand-in-glove together.

Bo Nix's Injury

First, Nix injured his ankle at the most inopportune time possible, ending his second year just as the Broncos were about to host the AFC championship game. It was the first time he's missed any action since arriving as a first-round pick in 2024.

Stidham's Failure to Launch

Second, the Broncos were highly confident that Stidham would be able to step in and keep the ship afloat. The things Sean Payton said during the week-long run-up to the AFC title game vs. the New England Patriots created a false sense of security among the fans and local press.

After a solid start in that game, Stidham quickly unraveled and directly contributed to the Broncos losing the AFC championship game at home. The Broncos missed their shot at the Super Bowl.

Perhaps Stidham's shaky performance in that game caused Payton and the Broncos to rethink their view of him as the understood QB2. Whatever the reasons, though, the bottom line is that the job is up for grabs this summer.

Ehlinger's Rising Stock

How could it play out? It's honestly anybody's guess, but Ehlinger looked very good during the four offseason practices open to the media.

Ehlinger looked far more poised and comfortable, compared to his first offseason with the Broncos in 2025. That makes sense, as he has a year in the system under his belt.

Stidham vs. Ehlinger

Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) throws the ball as head coach Sean Payton and quarterbacks Sam Ehlinger (4) and Bo Nix (10) watch during practice at the Hanbury Manor. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

From an experience standpoint, Ehlinger and Stidham are similar. Stidham leads with five career starts, counting playoffs (1-4), while Ehlinger has three (0-3). There isn't much separating them experience-wise, although Stidham has been in the league for two years longer (2019 vs. 2021).

Where the separation begins, though, is in the off-schedule department. Oddly, Stidham is far more athletic than people give him credit for, but it doesn't translate to his play on the field often.

Stidham is a pocket quarterback and when things break down, as we saw it happen in the AFC title game, he tends to panic, and bad things ensue. Ehlinger is a different story.

Like Nix, Ehlinger is best when he's on the move. The format of OTAs and minicamp doesn't really allow for Ehlinger to break the pocket and make off-schedule plays, but that will change in training camp, and especially the preseason. That will be his opportunity to separate from Stidham.

The Leadership Question

However, where Stidham has the upper hand is in his experience within Payton's offense and his leadership and pull within the locker room. That second thing is a lot more important than you might realize for a backup quarterback.

Coaches need to know that if the backup quarterback is called upon, he can lead the men around him. Will the players buy in and look to him as a leader? The uber-confident Stidham seems to have that question answered with a resounding yes.

I'm not so sure we could say the same for Ehlinger. So that'll be a low-key important component to his performance this summer — asserting himself tactfully as a leader and someone with whom the other players will resonate and buy in.

The Takeaway

From a bottom-line quality perspective, Ehlinger and Stidham are sixes. There's not much there to distinguish one from the other. There's a reason they're backups.

But the Broncos need to have some confidence in their QB2 this year, simply because Nix is returning from a broken ankle. As optimistic as his outlook is, it's hard to predict exactly how a player will rebound from such an injury and whether there will be any setbacks along the way. It's also the third fracture of his right ankle in Nix's playing career.

It will be fun to see how the QB2 competition shapes up this summer. The veterans report to training camp on July 28.

From there, the prime storyline will be Nix's return to full-go practice sessions, unencumbered by the strictures that limited him during the offseason program. But keep an eye on the Stidham vs. Ehlinger angle; it's far more important this time around.

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