What Sean Payton Wants Out of Broncos' Backup QB Competition

The competition for the Denver Broncos' backup quarterback gig between Jarrett Stidham, the incumbent, and Sam Ehlinger, the challenger, is ongoing as the team kicks off training camp.

Such as it was earlier this offseason. Just like any other positional battle, according to head coach Sean Payton.

“There’s a competition at all these spots," Payton told reporters on Friday following the official Day 1 of camp. "The guard position, quarterback position, tight end position. They’re competing for playing time and reps. That’s why we don’t have a depth chart or anything like that.”

Stidham, who turns 30 next week, is loosely considered the favorite to retain the job if only due to his experience, having been with Denver since Payton arrived in 2023 and most recently filled in for starting QB Bo Nix during January's AFC Championship loss to New England.

Ehlinger, who turns 28 in September, joined the club last year and re-upped in free agency on a one-year, $2 million deal. The Broncos' emergency QB last season, he's drawn repeated praise from Payton and showed enough to open up the competition with Stidham in the first place.

“Just what he’s doing. He’s getting reps. Stay the course," Payton said of Ehlinger in June. "Some of the things, some of his strengths, you don’t get to see. They’re the spontaneous plays that get whistled out early that don’t get finished. I think he’s doing well with the system.”

Broncos QBs Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger, Bo Ni — Jul 31, 2026; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) warm up during training camp at Broncos Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What We (And the Broncos) are Hoping to See

Barring something catastrophic, this is a battle that should last through camp and, potentially, the duration of the three-game preseason, after which Payton and company would render their decision on Nix's primary understudy in 2026.

However, under the microscope of the coaching staff and in full view of attending fans, the little things may be the determining factor between whether the title again belongs to Stidham or it's passed on to Ehlinger.

"Yesterday in the red zone, you get into a competitive period and you’re trying to make every play count," Payton said Friday of the quarterbacks. "There was a point where I mentioned, ‘Hey, train yourself to play it.’ An incompletion there is a good thing. There’s only one time in a game where you’ll say, ‘You have to go to the end zone,’ and that’s the got-to-have-it last play. I think if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself forcing it, so training yourself to be patient came up yesterday."

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