Why the Broncos' QB Competition Matters More Than Anyone Thinks

Jarrett Stidham isn't being gifted the backup quarterback job this time around. No, the Denver Broncos have decided that Stidham must sing for his supper.

What changed? I'm not sure, but the only obvious thing that jumps out was Stidham's performance in the AFC championship game in relief of Bo Nix. It did not go swimmingly for the Broncos' QB2, whose two turnovers were the difference in the team's 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

The battle for the Broncos' No. 2 quarterback job will continue through the summer, with Stidham going against Sam Ehlinger, who had an impressive offseason overall.

Why the QB2 Battle Matters

Nix is back. He returned to the practice field during mandatory minicamp, and all signs point to him being healthy and available for the 2026 regular season. But the reason this QB2 battle matters so much more this time around is due to the uncertainty surrounding Nix's ankle.

Again, both Nix and the team have expressed optimism — nay, confidence — in his right ankle being good as new come the fall, but seeing how quickly the Broncos' hard-fought Super Bowl hopes came crashing down without him in the lineup has made the backup job a more topline issue in 2026.

So far, Nix hasn't avoided the injury bug in either of his two NFL seasons, but despite this, he's only missed one start. He dealt with a back and ankle issue his rookie year, and he declined a Pro Bowl invitation in February of 2025 to undergo a "routine cleanup procedure." He then suffered that fateful fractured ankle in the divisional round of the playoffs this past January, the final game of his second year.

If the best predictor of future outcomes is past outcomes, odds are, Nix will get banged up again in Year 3. Football is a violent sport and the injury bug is no respector of persons.

Hopefully, Nix doesn't miss any meaningful time in Year 3, but the Broncos have to have a viable contingency in place just in case. The team has been content to rely on Stidham in such an event since 2023, but the Broncos are now exploring whether there is a better option on the roster in the form of Ehlinger.

Ehlinger Looking Good So Far

Denver Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Ehlinger has looked good this summer. With a year in the Broncos' system, he looked far more comfortable and confident during the offseason training program, resulting in a sharper looking quarterback.

As Sean Payton observed recently, the format of OTAs and minicamp doesn't allow for Ehlinger to showcase one of his strong suits, which is his playmaking ability when things break down. In OTAs/minicamp, when a given play gets blown up by a rusher, the rep is immediately whistled dead, whereas, in training camp practices and the preseason games, such scenarios will be allowed to play out.

“Just what he’s doing. He’s getting reps. Stay the course," Payton said of Ehlinger last week. "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.”

Stidham works far better within the structure of the play, though he has some sneaky athleticism. He's also been in Payton's scheme for the past three years, and is slightly more experienced from a career starts perspective, so we have to assume he has the edge.

The Takeaway

The Broncos are making this a competition for a reason. And it's well worth our time to closely monitor the progress Stidham and Ehlinger make when training camp rolls around in late July.

We all hope and expect Nix will be healthy and available this season. But the Broncos need a good backup plan just in case.

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