Report: Broncos carrying three QBs on 53-man roster, Ehlinger makes it

The Denver Broncos have a great No. 1 quarterback in Bo Nix.

That doesn’t mean head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton don’t like the entire room.

In fact, according to 9NEWS and 104.3 The Fan insider Mike Klis, the Broncos front-office has decided to keep three QBs on the initial 53-man roster. Both Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger, Nix’s backups, have made the team.

Per source, QB Sam Ehlinger will be on #Broncos season-opening 53-man roster as team to keep 3.
Was deserving before his terrific performance Friday night but 15 of 20, 233, 3 TD effort in preseason finale no doubt helped cement the deal.
Ehlinger will join Nix, Stidham.

— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) August 30, 2026

It’s a cool moment for Ehlinger after he had a chance to leave the Broncos for the Colts (and other teams) last year, but saw it through.

He tossed an interception in Friday’s preseason finale against the Vikings, but then rebounded nicely. As Klis points out, Ehlinger posted big stats, including throwing for 233 yards and three touchdowns.

While Payton hasn’t made an official announcement of who’s the No. 2 QB, it’s pretty clearly Stidham. He appeared in all three preseason games ahead of Ehlinger and had good outings against Atlanta and Minnesota, while struggling versus Green Bay.

Stidham played in the AFC Title Game last year after Nix broke his ankle and had surgery and was brutal against the Patriots in a 10-7 loss that sent New England to the Super Bowl.

But Payton and Paton still believe in Stidham and also want to see how Ehlinger continues to develop. Cutting him and exposing him to waivers would’ve been risky, as another team might have tried to snag Ehlinger to be their backup.

Instead, despite being a championship contender and having a solid NFL starter in Nix, the Broncos will keep three quarterbacks.

It’s a good day for Ehlinger and his belief in the franchise — and Denver has rewarded him with a spot on the team.

Related

Report: Broncos cut a fifth-round tight end after tough camp, but long TDBroncos edge rusher Cooper headed for commissioner’s exempt listThe Broncos don’t need a 1,000-yard rusher to have a great RB roomDenver Broncos 2026 cutdown trackerAfter up-and-down camp, Broncos tight end Joly closes preseason with a flourishTight end room makes a statement in the Broncos preseason finale