Everything We've Learned About Broncos' Backup QB Battle So Far

During the offseason, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton welcomed a competition for the No. 2 quarterback job.

“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," Payton said in April from the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix.

However, just last week in training camp, Payton walked that statement back. Do the team's actions say something different?

The Broncos have given Sam Ehlinger more than one day of camp with the second-team offense, and on Day 8 during the scrimmage, he replaced Jarrett Stidham with the twos when they went to situational drills (third down, red zone, two-minute). That alone suggests it's more than a simple rotation of reps and that there's a competition going on.

The coaches want a look-see.

What's Really Going On

Denver Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's a lot of nuance to this topic. On the field, Stidham is the backup quarterback, and Ehlinger has yet to eclipse him, though the Broncos are only two weeks into camp and the preseason games haven't started.

Over the years, Payton has regularly mixed things up, with his backup and third-string quarterback getting some run with the second team — even when there is no battle going on. That could be happening here, especially with Payton advising media and fans not to read into the rotation.

However, there is another element to this that the Broncos could be evaluating when it comes to Ehlinger in particular. Stidham has been the backup for the past three years, but he has an expiring contract that carries a large salary cap hit in 2026, and during the offseason, he reportedly garnered trade interest from other teams, though nothing ever came of it.

So, Payton may not want to posture it publicly as an open competition now, even though that's what he said during the offseason, but look at it like this: If Ehlinger can prove he wouldn't be a big drop-off from Stidham as Bo Nix's backup, Denver could save some money by cutting or trading Stidham, which would be great for the salary cap.

If the Broncos were to outright release Stidham, they would incur $3.5 million in dead money, while saving $4.5 million. A willing trade partner would absorb the contract and offer the Broncos those same cap savings. Ehlinger, meanwhile, was re-signed to a one-year, $2 million deal in March.

Follow What They Do, Not What They Say

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton walks the field before training camp at Broncos Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Broncos are obviously looking at the backup quarterback situation hard, and Ehlinger has played well in camp, but this really comes down to how much the coaches trust him, more so than how Stidham performs this summer.

However, Ehlinger has been more consistent than Stidham since camp began, which could help clarify the situation for the Broncos, especially as it applies to the trade/cut debate.

Ehlinger has looked better with the second team than he has with the threes, though he's had some very bright moments throwing to third-teamers like Hakeem Butler, Kolbe Katsis, and Cameron Ross. But Stidham, when he drops down to play with the threes, looks significantly worse, and it's not like he is tearing it up with the twos.

Again, Ehlinger has been more consistent than Stidham, and some might argue he's been the most consistent of all three quarterbacks in camp, though Nix has to contend with the Broncos' first-team defense on every rep. Coaches tend to look for consistency with a backup quarterback.

Stidham has tried to force things at times and appears to be pressing for plays too hard, which we also saw when he started the AFC championship game in relief of Nix.

So, yes, regardless of whether Payton wants to admit it publicly all of a sudden, there is a battle at QB2. Whether they admit it or not, the Broncos want to see if Ehlinger can make the more expensive Stidham expendable to save money and possibly get some draft capital in a trade.

However, there's little chance of Ehlinger winning the backup job, while the Broncos also keep Stidham on the roster as the QB3. So in that sense, Payton has plausible deniability, because Stidham wouldn't be demoted; he'd be gone.

The Takeaway

If all three quarterbacks stick with the Broncos this year, it'll be with Stidham and his $8 million cap number as the backup. The battle simply comes down to whether Ehlinger makes Stidham expendable and opens up more doors for the Broncos.

We'll let you decide whether that qualifies as a true backup quarterback battle.

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