Is there a Taysom Hill-type weapon hiding in the Broncos’ quarterback room?

The Denver Broncos may have already found the player they spent part of the offseason looking for. They just didn’t realize he was already on the roster.

On a recent edition of “Stokley and Evans, with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan, the hosts broke down Friday night’s preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons, a game that gave the Broncos their first real look this year at the quarterback competition behind Bo Nix. Sam Ehlinger took the field and delivered a performance that quietly shifted the conversation around what Denver’s backup quarterback room could actually become.

Ehlinger finished the night completing 10 of 14 passes for 67 yards, while adding 21 yards on the ground on six rushes. The stat line won’t generate headlines. But for a player fighting to prove he belongs in the QB2 conversation, the tape told a story the numbers only begin to capture.

Schlereth came away genuinely encouraged.

“I thought Ehlinger played well,” he said.

He then connected what he saw Friday night to a conversation the Broncos had been having earlier in the offseason, one that involved a very specific type of player.

“And I will say this. We were talking about the potential of Taysom Hill as a signee. Ehlinger can do some of that stuff. Like Ehlinger is athletic,” Schlereth said.

Mike Evans pushed back playfully on how far the comparison extends.

“What are you gonna line him up at fullback?” Evans asked.

Schlereth clarified where the value actually lives.

“No, I’m talking about quarterback run stuff,” he said. “We saw him get out to the edge on a couple of sweeps and other things, he’s incredibly athletic. So, he gives you an added dimension that makes a defense have to prepare for that stuff.”

The Broncos explored bringing in Taysom Hill this offseason specifically because of his ability to operate as a versatile, run-threat in specialized packages. That move never materialized. But Ehlinger’s preseason debut demonstrated that Denver may already have a player capable of filling that role, someone whose legs force a defensive coordinator to account for a different look when the personnel changes.

Schlereth made clear that the performance didn’t upend the depth chart.

“I still think Stiddy is the guy, but I was impressed with what Ehlinger did, as well,” he said.

Stidham has the experience and the familiarity with the offense that typically wins backup quarterback jobs. But after Friday night, the conversation is no longer just about who holds the clipboard behind Nix. It’s about whether Ehlinger can carve out a role that goes beyond traditional backup duties, a joker package, a change-of-pace element, a wrinkle that gives Davis Webb another tool in his play-calling arsenal.

The Broncos are hoping they never need to see their backup quarterback in a meaningful game again. Last year’s AFC Championship Game taught them what happens when that plan falls apart. But if it does, at least the competition for the role has produced a player whose athleticism adds something to the offense beyond simply managing the game until the starter returns.

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