Former AFC South Starter Could Compete With $12 Million QB for Broncos’ No. 2 Spot

If you understand one thing about Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, let it bet this — the man believes in a meritocracy. And he doesn’t bring in players not to compete.

The 2025 backup quarterback race for the Broncos should be no different.

While Jarrett Stidham has been the backup for 2 quarterbacks over the last 3 seasons and just signed a 2-year, $12 million contract, there’s a new quarterback in the mix with former Indianapolis Colts backup Sam Ehlinger, who signed a 1-year contract with the Broncos on April 1.

The difference between Stidham and Ehlinger might not be as pronounced as it appears on the surface. When it comes to career starts, Stidham has 4 starts in 6 seasons compared to 3 starts for Ehlinger through his first 3 seasons with the Colts.

Stidham is 1-3 in his 4 starts while Ehlinger is 0-3. It should also be pointed out both players started games for teams late in the season when their was little aside from pride on the line for their teams.

Ehlinger could still thrive as the Broncos’ emergency third quarterback by showing he’s capable of learning Payton’s offense and being a reliable option on the roster. Just look at what happened with Zach Wilson in 2024, where he spent the entire season as QB3 before signing a 1-year, $6 million contract to be the backup quarterback on the Miami Dolphins in 2025.

Stidham Still Believes He Could Be Starter in NFL

Payton gave Stidham what amounts to a ringing endorsement at the annual NFL owners meetings on March 31.

“(Stidham) brings a veteran presence, but also a young presence about him,” Payton told Sports Illustrated’s Zach Kelberman. “I know how he feels about his own abilities. We had a great room a year ago. You guys know that. It was probably unrealistic to think that we were going to have both Zach and Jarrett back. So I want to see those guys obviously have success. They’re both talented players, and I think that process … I think the experience from Jarrett is helpful to Bo.”

Stidham and Wilson were beaten out for the starting job by rookie Bo Nix during training camp in 2024 — something that didn’t necessarily sit well with Stidham, who believes he could still be a full-time starting quarterback in the NFL.

“First of all, obviously I was very disappointed,” Stidham said after Nix was named the starter on August 25. “I know I’m a starting quarterback in this league. I have no doubts about that, and it just didn’t shake out my way. I know what kind of player I am, what kind of person I am. Like I said earlier, I’ll be ready to go if I need to be. Like I said, I have no doubts that I’m a starting-caliber quarterback in this league.”

What Ehlinger Could Do For Broncos as QB2

One advantage Ehlinger has is he’s probably a little more of a facsimile to Nix when it comes to what they can do on the field. In his 3 starts in 2022 for the Colts, Ehlinger was 64-of-101 passing for 573 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions while rushing for 87 yards and averaging 5.1 yards per carry.