Son of Hall of Fame QB May Become Broncos' Next Pet Project

Former Fresno State quarterback E.J. Warner, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, has accepted an invitation to the Denver Broncos' rookie minicamp this week, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday.

An undrafted rookie free agent, Warner worked out at the Kansas City Chiefs' rookie minicamp over the weekend and will now get a look from Broncos head coach Sean Payton.

The Broncos were expected to bring in a camp-arm-type quarterback for the early portion of their offseason workout program after starter Bo Nix recently underwent a second procedure on his surgically repaired ankle.

Denver's rookie minicamp runs May 8-10. Warner is one of several tryout players invited as the club evaluates options for its 90-man roster ahead of Organized Team Activities.

Scouting Report

Warner, 22, began his collegiate career at Temple and had a one-year stopover with Rice before ending with the Bulldogs. Altogether, he completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 10,844 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 48 interceptions across 41 starts, posting a cumulative 16-25 record.

The 6-foot, 203-pound signal-caller earned American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman at Temple in 2022, and threw for more than 3,000 yards that year and the following season — both school records.

“He’s a lot better than I was as an overall player. It’s not even close," Kurt Warner said of his son in 2025. "Just his intelligence, his ability to see the field. There are times I watch him and I’m just like, ‘Gosh dang, I don’t see guys on Sunday seeing and doing some of the things that he does.’”

Warner recently added: “What’s special about EJ is his ability to process information. I would put him up against any quarterback in this class at being able to see it and get through his reads … very accurate with the football.”

Potential Fit with Broncos

As already stated, Warner — if signed — wouldn't be coming in to displace either Jarrett Stidham or Sam Ehlinger behind Nix. He'd compete in rookie camp, with the prospect of earning a contract to return for training camp (if his tryout warrants it).

Payton previously intimated that Stidham and Ehlinger will battle for the QB2 job prior to the start of the 2026 season.

“We see competition… And it wasn’t different last year. There’s nothing that is etched in stone. There just isn’t, and that’s a good thing," he said in March.

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