The Denver Broncos are moving forward without rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury on the second-to-last play of their Divisional Round playoff win. With their playoff hopes still alive but their quarterback room suddenly thin, the Broncos are bringing back a familiar name: Ben DiNucci.
DiNucci, 29, is rejoining Denver via the practice squad, a move first reported by CBS Sports and confirmed by DiNucci himself on social media. In classic DiNucci fashion, he leaned into the moment with a bit of flair, tweeting:
“It has come to my attention that a team may be in need of my services… Good thing my schedule is open this week.
Broncos country… Let’s go get a Super Bowl 🏆”
It’s a full-circle moment for DiNucci, who was with the Broncos’ practice squad back in 2023 but never saw game action. Since then, he’s bounced around the league, spending time with the Bills, Saints, and Falcons, though he hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since his brief stint with the Cowboys in 2020.
That year, DiNucci started one game for Dallas, completing 21 of 40 passes for 180 yards. It was a tough outing-he took four sacks and lost two fumbles-but it was also a crash course in NFL speed and pressure that few backup quarterbacks ever get. While he hasn’t seen the field since, DiNucci has stayed in the league’s orbit, and now he gets another shot-albeit in a support role-as Denver tries to keep its postseason run alive.
With Nix out, the starting job now belongs to Jarrett Stidham. He hasn’t thrown a pass in an NFL game since 2023, but Broncos head coach Sean Payton sounds confident in his new starter.
“He’s ready,” Payton said. “I said this at the beginning of the season: I feel like I’ve got a [No. 2 quarterback] that’s capable of starting for a number of teams, and I know he feels the same way.
Watch out. Just watch.
He’s experienced, he’s played in games.”
Payton’s optimism isn’t just coach-speak. Stidham has been in the system all season, learning under Payton and preparing for this moment.
He’s not the same quarterback who came into the league as a mid-round pick with raw tools-he’s more seasoned now, more poised. The Broncos are betting that time and preparation will translate into performance when it matters most.
Backing up Stidham will be Sam Ehlinger, who hasn’t appeared in a game since 2023 with the Colts. Ehlinger joined Denver last offseason and has been quietly working behind the scenes, learning the system and staying ready.
It’s not the quarterback situation Denver envisioned heading into the playoffs, but this is the NFL-depth matters, and adaptability is everything. The Broncos still have a shot, and while the loss of Nix is a tough blow, they’re not folding. With Stidham at the helm, Ehlinger behind him, and DiNucci waiting in the wings, Denver’s quarterback room is patchwork-but it’s a patchwork with a plan.
Now it’s up to Stidham and the rest of this Broncos team to keep the momentum going.