Broncos HC Sean Payton Welcomes Competition at Backup QB

Heading into the 2026 NFL draft later this month, the only thing known with certainty regarding the Denver Broncos' quarterback position is that Bo Nix will not come off the starting spot anytime soon.

Beyond that is anyone's guess, as head coach Sean Payton seemingly cracked the door for an impending battle of the backups between incumbent QB2 Jarrett Stidham and third-stringer Sam Ehlinger.

“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 told reporters during league meetings in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Stidham, of course, saw no meaningful action last season until Nix suffered a fractured ankle amid Denver's Wild Card playoff upset of the Buffalo Bills. The former started for the latter in the following AFC Championship Game, and the result was largely uneven — one touchdown pass, two turnovers — in a 10-7 loss to New England.

Ehlinger did not appear in a regular season game for the Broncos in 2025, functioning as the distinct No. 3 option behind Nix and Stidham. The team re-signed him to a one-year, $2 million contract at the start of free agency last month.

While Payton has final say over all things personnel-related, the proposed competition would fall under the purview of new quarterbacks coach Logan Kilgore, whom Payton evidently feels is up to the task.

“He’s played quarterback," Payton said of Kilgore. "He was in our training camp in New Orleans. I’m kind of giving you his background. I think he’s clearly one of those guys that has demonstrated that maturity that you look for in a coach that goes in to an advanced position. It starts with, ‘Can you promote from within?’ I think it’s something that’s well deserved. He’s earned it.”

Oct 10, 2025; Ware, United Kingdom; 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. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stidham Likely to Emerge Victorious

There are factors to consider when weighing Payton's tease about a QB battle. First and foremost, with the Draft rapidly approaching, it's possible (if not probable) that he's deploying a proverbial smokescreen and plans to use one of his seven picks on a signal-caller.

Perhaps more importantly, however, Stidham seems to be well-ingrained in Payton's circle of trust — no easy task. That he basically was defended after his AFC title game showing spoke volumes regarding Stidham's organizational standing.

Crazier things have happened in this business, but it'd be a fairly shocking development if Ehlinger managed to leapfrog Stidham on the depth chart. Given equal footing, the depth chart is likely to perfectly resemble that of last season: Nix, Stidham, Ehlinger. In that order.

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