Sam Ehlinger ‘earned it’ to be on Broncos 53-man roster, says Sean Payton

The Denver Broncos made a decision on Sunday to keep Sam Ehlinger as a third QB on the 53-man roster.

That raised some eyebrows, as the Broncos had to make tough cuts elsewhere in order to give Ehlinger and Jarrett Stidham a spot behind starter Bo Nix.

After practice wrapped up on Monday, head coach Sean Payton was asked why Denver decided to hang on to Sam Ehlinger and roster three quarterbacks.

“Look, I thought Sam earned it. Played well, especially finished the preseason well. We felt that became an easier decision as we got into camp a little bit further,” Payton said.

Sam Ehlinger played very well against the Minnesota Vikings in the preseason finale after a tough interception early on. He finished 15-20 for 233 yards and three touchdowns.

Clearly, that meant something to Payton and GM George Paton. Ehlinger also had opportunities to join other teams last season and stuck with Denver. His loyalty was rewarded.

Payton was also asked about guys who had good training camps and could take a leap this season.

He started naming a couple of players, before pausing, saying he might miss someone. Payton then had fun with the reporter’s extremely broad question before landing on Ehlinger’s name.

“This is a question I get from like my brother, alright? We’ve had a number of players. I think we start with the quarterback, I think Sam really progressed,” Payton said.

Even if Payton’s brother wants to know the intricate details of the team, fans do as well. And it sounds like Ehlinger secured his job with his work during training camp and particularly in the last preseason game.

While Broncos Country likes Sam Ehlinger, they hope to never see him on the field this season. Nix staying healthy for 17 games and the entirety of the playoffs is the goal, especially after what went down last year.

Related

Joe Sakic explained Cale Makar’s extension timelineBroncos OLB Jonathon Cooper pleads not guilty to five charges, trial dates setTwo Broncos players claimed off waivers by Dolphins, including JolyDenver Broncos 2026 practice-squad trackerWhy Broncos made what George Paton called the ‘toughest’ cut to waive Jaleel McLaughlinBroncos kept Caleb Lohner — but he’ll need some time to be healthy