Ben DiNucci Gets a Second Shot: Broncos Add Former Cowboys QB Ahead of AFC Title Game
In a twist few saw coming, Ben DiNucci is back in the NFL mix - just in time for the biggest game of the Broncos’ season. The former Cowboys quarterback has signed with Denver’s practice squad ahead of the AFC Championship, stepping into a suddenly thin quarterback room following Bo Nix’s season-ending ankle injury in the win over the Buffalo Bills.
For DiNucci, it’s the first opportunity to latch on with a team since the preseason. He spent time with the Atlanta Falcons during training camp but didn’t make it past final roster cuts. Since then, he’s been waiting in the wings - and now, with Denver down a quarterback, he’s getting another shot.
Let’s be clear: DiNucci isn’t being brought in to take snaps on Sunday. Jarrett Stidham is set to start, with Sam Ehlinger backing him up.
DiNucci’s role is more about depth and insurance - the kind of emergency option you hope you never need, but are glad to have in the building. He’s expected to serve as the non-active third quarterback, a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency presence on the practice squad.
That might not sound glamorous, but for a player like DiNucci, it’s a meaningful step. Since entering the league in 2020, he’s appeared in just three games.
He’s bounced between rosters and practice squads, never quite finding a long-term home or a stable backup role. But this opportunity, even in a limited capacity, puts him back in an NFL facility, working under a respected head coach in Sean Payton.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Payton’s reputation around the league speaks for itself. He’s known for getting the most out of quarterbacks - whether it’s future Hall of Famers or fringe roster guys. For DiNucci, just being in the room with Payton is a chance to soak up knowledge, prove his professionalism, and maybe - just maybe - plant seeds for something more down the road.
No one’s expecting DiNucci to suddenly leapfrog into a starting role, or even into the primary backup spot. But with both Stidham and Ehlinger’s futures in Denver uncertain beyond this season, there’s a window here. If DiNucci can make a strong impression in meetings, on the practice field, and in the locker room, he could position himself as a viable third option heading into 2026.
This isn’t about heroics. It’s about survival - and maybe revival.
A chance to show he still belongs in the league, even if it’s in a quiet, behind-the-scenes role. For quarterbacks like DiNucci, that’s often how the next chapter starts: not with a headline, but with a headset and a clipboard.
And in the NFL, sometimes just being in the building is all it takes to change the trajectory of a career.