Bo Nix appears healthy, which has shifted the spotlight in Broncos camp to the battle behind him. For now, the most interesting quarterback wrinkle in Denver is Jarrett Stidham versus Sam Ehlinger.
On the second day of camp, coach Sean Payton made a subtle change in how the two backups were lined up, according to Luca Evans of the Denver Post. For the first time in any Broncos camp practice since Denver first signed Ehlinger back in 2025, Ehlinger handled the second-team reps in every team period while Stidham worked with the third team.
That kind of switch can look like a message, especially when the quarterback involved is Stidham. Some have viewed it through the lens of his AFC Championship game outing against the New England Patriots, when the Broncos needed him to deliver and he instead produced a costly turnover at the wrong time. Still, that game also came with a caveat: Stidham spent most of it playing through a small but significant snow storm that hurt visibility and dragged down both offenses.
Payton, as always, kept his response pointed without giving much away. “There’s competition at all three of these spots,” Payton said of the quarterback spots.
When asked about the change in reps, he added, “There was nothing remarkable, or anything we discussed in meeting,” Payton said, when he was asked about the reasoning for the change in reps. “So maybe they just unfolded where, yeah … but I wouldn’t make anything into it.”
Even if Payton downplayed it, Evans reported that Ehlinger had the better offseason showing on the eye test. The 27-year old Ehlinger has settled in well in Denver’s quarterback room, and Evans noted that he turned down multiple contract offers throughout 2025 to keep developing in the Broncos’ system. Part of that appeal was working with Davis Webb, who has now been promoted to offensive coordinator.
Payton pointed to the program and the offense as part of what kept Ehlinger in Denver. “I think we just sold our program, and the offense,” Payton said when he was asked about Ehlinger choosing to stay in Denver.
“You can never promise anything other than, I would say this - we saw immediate growth. And you’d have to ask him, but I think he felt like, ‘I want to continue with this offense and continue where I’m going.’”
Ehlinger also signed a one-year deal worth $2 million in the offseason, a number that makes him a much cheaper backup option than Stidham. With trade rumors swirling around Stidham earlier in the offseason, the situation is one to keep an eye on as camp moves forward.
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