Broncos Elevate Veteran QB to Active Roster for Cowboys Game

A former reserve signal-caller with the Indianapolis Colts, Ehlinger inked a one-year deal with the Broncos this offseason to replace Zach Wilson as the No. 3 QB behind starter Bo Nix and veteran mainstay Jarrett Stidham, both of whom are locked into their respective roles.

"He's extremely athletic. He's comfortable throwing on the run. There's a little moxie to him," Payton said of Ehlinger in August. "Sometimes it can be a little big for guys. But for him, not at all. You feel like [he's a guy] who has played well before, and carries himself that way. He's very good off the pocket, very good off-schedule. He's strong. I like the player a lot."

Appearing in all three preseason games this summer, Ehlinger completed 42-of-57 pass attempts for 415 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He was released in August as part of final roster cuts and later re-signed to the practice team, rejecting offers from other organizations to remain under Payton's tutelage.

“I know he had opportunity out there, I'm not exactly sure what. It was a priority for us to keep Sam, either on the 53 [-man roster]… We consider him a 53 man player," Broncos general manager George Paton said at the time. "Sam has been outstanding since he showed up. [I have] always been high on Sam at Texas, and then you watched him at the Colts. He didn't play a whole lot there, but you watch the preseason. Then when you got him here, he was better than I anticipated. Always been a good athlete, I thought he was always efficient. I didn't realize he had the arm strength. I think he has developed that arm strength over the last couple of years. He played really well. We're glad he's here. We know teams are after him, and we plan on keeping him here.”

Now back on the 53, Ehlinger will resettle into his third-string role tailing Nix and Stidham as the Broncos begin full-scale preparations for Week 8's home contest at Empower Field.