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Aug 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Broncos TE Evan Engram Breaks Silence on Failure to Launch Thus Far

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Keith Cummings | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 2:54 PM ET

Much has been made about Sean Payton's search for the 'Joker' weapon for his offense since becoming head coach of the Denver Broncos. When free agency brought veteran tight end Evan Engram to the Broncos, most fans put two and two together.

Finding the right groove for Engram has been slowed by two early injuries for the 31-year-old, and his failure to launch thus far has hurt the Broncos' offense, as second-year quarterback Bo Nix has struggled to hit intermediary routes.

Engram missed the last-second defeat last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, but he's listed as a full go on the Broncos' Week 4 injury report, which means he's back in the saddle. He explained earlier this week why it's taken him some time to get rolling with Payton and Nix.

"It's a day-by-day thing, honestly. Day by day, honestly, and just the work being put in each and every day, really learning the offense, learning the specifics. Getting on the same page with Bo, learning the details from Sean. Like, it definitely takes some patience," Engram said this week via DNVR. "Definitely takes some time to build something great. But we have just such a great team, a bunch of great minds here, and we're working really hard. Just looking forward to coming in, and making, leaving a mark as much as I can."

Everyone getting on the same page would be of a huge benefit to Nix, who's endured a fair bit of criticism in the early going. The mission at hand must be to quickly extinguish any potential bushfire that could explode into a conflagration if a dreaded sophomore slump takes shape.

Mid-range passes continue to splutter for Nix, but there have been signs that the Broncos' running game, with J.K. Dobbins, is finding a consistent footing, which will open up deep-ball opportunities for Nix and the receivers.

If Engram's health can now be relied upon, it figures that his snap count and targets should start to increase moving forward. That's certainly how Broncos' offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi framed it at the podium on Friday.

"I don't know if there's anything that hasn't clicked," Lombardi said of Engram. "A little bit like the running backs, we got a bunch of tight ends that we like and they all do different things well. So, yeah, I think we're aware of what that guy's strengths are, and you know he'll be getting going here real soon."

Unleashing Engram more fully as a dynamic pass-catching threat might get somewhat fast-tracked on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. That's because wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. popped up on the injury report as questionable, which could see other pass-catchers be leaned on more fully.

The Broncos didn't pay Engram big money to have him play a smaller role in this offense, so it's about time the rubber met the road.