Why Sam Ehlinger Could Stick Around as Broncos' Backup QB

Sam Ehlinger arrived to the Denver Broncos' offseason program with an improved command of the offense as he continues to make waves amid a potential competition for the No. 2 quarterback job.

“I think considerably," head coach Sean Payton said Thursday of Ehlinger's deeper understanding of the system. "Good question. Today there were a handful of plays maybe a year ago at this time from a terminology standpoint or just the rhythm... But I definitely feel like you can see that, and that’s encouraging.”

A former Colts spot-starter, Ehlinger did not appear in a regular season game for Denver last year, functioning as the distinct emergency option behind Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham. The team re-signed him to a one-year, $2 million contract at the start of free agency.

But with how Ehlinger has looked behind the scenes, combined with Stidham's less-than-stellar showing in January's AFC title game, Payton cracked the door for the latter to become QB2 ahead of the 2026 campaign.

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

The Broncos chose not to select a quarterback in the 2026 draft nor sign any of the tryout signal-callers they brought in, suggesting Payton and company are content with running back the exact three-man room as last season -- this time, with a possible twist.

A Meaningful Impression

There's a reason why the Broncos opted to sign Ehlinger in 2025 in the first place. There's also a reason why the club wanted to bring him back this offseason. Both are mutually exclusive.

Just like with the hiring of Davis Webb, Payton obviously saw something in Ehlinger, enough to allow him in his sacred circle of trust. And like with former QB3 Zach Wilson, Ehlinger is a renovation project that Payton would love to successfully restore.

Ehlinger ultimately might not surpass Stidham on the depth chart, but there's evidence to suggest that he's not going away, either.

“I think one of the benefits of this time of the year is, and we really try to move guys around in first group, second group, give some veteran players maybe a period where they’re not in, and then even in training camp," Payton said of offseason practices. "So ultimately when they’re in pads in live situations or full contact situations, even in the preseason games, you’ll get a chance to see and probably have a better evaluation of each player. This is the time of the year to do that.”

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