Evan Engram Makes it Clear Where He Wants to Play in 2026

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram's talks about the future entering the offseason.

Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Veteran tight end Evan Engram only played 42% of the offensive plays in his debut season with the Denver Broncos. As the guy who embraced the 'Joker' label when the Broncos signed him in free agency, it would be understandable if he was unsatisfied with his first-year playing time.

"There were some tough moments in there," Engram said Monday, via The Denver Post's Luca Evans. "I felt like I wanted to always contribute more. Every week, I want to contribute to the team. But, yeah. A lot of that stuff is out of my control, and I just kinda had to stop trying to figure out what that was and just focus on what I was asked to do." 

Engram, 31, strived not to rock the boat, despite his production dropping to 50 receptions for 461 yards and just one touchdown. The trade-off was playing for a winner.

For the first time in his career, Engram played on a team that finished with more than nine wins, as the Broncos won 14 regular-season games and advanced to the AFC championship game. And it took a freak injury to Bo Nix in the game prior to knock the No. 1-seeded Broncos off their Super Bowl path.

"Yeah, I mean, I definitely felt God led me here for a reason … maybe it wasn't exactly, things didn't occur the way I saw them," Engram said via Evans. "But what He's given me this year, man -- I've got 10 more years left, from what I've learned this year. I mean, I have a great team around me. We're going to ride until the wheels fall off." 

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What the Future May Hold

Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) makes a catch against New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) during the first half in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The double whammy of Father Time and diminishing statistical returns can often put veteran players on the roster bubble. Add to that football arithmetic Engram's two-year, $23 million deal he signed last spring, and it doesn't exactly scream value. 

Were the Broncos to release Engram prior to June 1, they would save $3.8 million against the salary cap, but they'd incur $10.8 million in dead money. However, the Broncos could minimize the dead money to $7.6 million and the cap savings to $6.7 million if he were designated a post-June 1 cut.

On the other hand, the Broncos' tight end room remains threadbare and desperately in need of a pass-catching spark. The Broncos could always try to tweak Engram's deal to lower his $14.1 million cap hit for 2026, but that would depend on how amenable he'd be to offering the team some flexibility.

Much will also now rest on how the Broncos see Engram fitting into what Sean Payton envisions for his offense in 2026, especially in the wake of the coaching upheaval on his staff, including firings and outside teams hiring valued assistants away, such as Pete Carmichael.

Pass game coordinator Davis Webb is the current favorite to land the offensive coordinator job in the Mile High City. The possibility of Webb even replacing Payton as the Broncos' primary play-caller might even be the shot in the arm Engram could use at this stage of his career.

These are just theories and rumors; you can pry the play-call sheet out of Payton's cold, dead hands. There's a very dim chance he'll relinquish play-calling duties to anyone, including Webb, not so long as Payton is the head coach.

Regardless of who'll be calling plays next season, the universal priority will be to furnish Nix with as many offensive weapons as the Broncos possibly can. While the draft process might lead the Broncos toward some youthful upgrades at tight end, having an established veteran like Engram around could be valuable.

Engram still obviously envisions his 10th NFL season to be in Denver. And until and unless the Broncos choose otherwise, that's the way it is entering the 2026 offseason.

“Man, I just want to continue to stay explosive going into Year 10. It’s going to be such a blessing. I’m really excited about it," Engram said while clearing out his locker on Monday. "But man, I still have a lot left in the tank physically. [There are] things I want to improve on just as far as route running, even studying some defenses and doing some self-scout, looking at what things that I struggle with against defenses this year, what things can I do better. So definitely excited. I love that process."