Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was nothing less than ecstatic when quarterback Bo Nix fell into his lap on draft night last year. Sitting at pick 12, with the quarterback-needy AFC West rivals from Las Vegas behind him at 13, Payton rushed to turn in his card that had Nix’ name written on it.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter stated, Payton felt – and still feels – as strongly about Nix as he did with Mahomes, who Payton planned on drafting in the 2017 NFL Draft prior to the Kansas City Chiefs trading up and selecting the then-Texas Tech quarterback.
Nix responded by tossing 29 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, adding another four scores, 430 yards and 41 first downs with his legs. Through the air, he ended his rookie campaign with 3,775 yards while moving the chains 170 times.
Denver has found their starting quarterback for years to come–that’s the most important thing any franchise in the National Football League can do.
But, as the old adage goes, the second-most important position in football is the backup quarterback. Former Raiders signal caller Jarrett Stidham is holding that spot down for now.
He has competition, though. On Monday, the Broncos agreed to terms with 26-year-old Sam Ehlinger; a four-year NFL veteran.
Sean Payton, Denver Broncos bring Sam Ehlinger to AFC West
Ehlinger, a sixth-round draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, spent the first four years of his career with the Indianapolis Colts. His only games with any amount of passing attempts came during the ’22 season where he started three contests throughout the year.
That season, Ehlinger threw three touchdowns and three interceptions with 573 passing yards. He completed 63.4% of his passes en route to a quarterback rating of 76.1.
Comparatively, Jarrett Stidham, Ehlinger’s competition for QB2 in Denver, was responsible for two touchdowns and one interception during his two starts with the Broncos in 2023. Stidham completed 60.6% of his passes for 496 yards, earning a passer rating of 87.7.
Stidham, a three-year member of the Broncos who signed a two-year deal this offseason, has the advantage heading into training camp. In the meantime, Denver’s newest quarterback will look to dethrone him and earn the backup role for himself.
*Top Photo: Tyler Schank/Getty Images