Sam Ehlinger Could Unseat Jarrett Stidham As Broncos’ QB2?

According to Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post, that could change in 2026. In Gabriel’s opinion, Ehlinger will overtake Stidham for the backup job.

Gabriel makes it clear his prediction is not based on Stidham’s performance in last season’s AFC championship game, in which the former Patriots draftee was thrust into action due to the ankle injury Nix had suffered the week before. In that contest, which was ultimately derailed by snowy conditions, Stidham completed 17 of 31 passes for 133 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also committed a costly fumble, but MVP runner-up Drake Maye did not fare well either, and New England won the contest by a slim 10-7 margin.

Other teams do not seem to be holding his title game showing against Stidham, as he reportedly generated trade interest earlier this year. And, as Gabriel concedes, the soon-to-be 30-year-old has earned a great deal of equity with the Broncos during his three-year Denver stint.

But the Broncos’ staff – including newly-promoted offensive coordinator Davis Webb, as Gabriel observes in a separate piece – thinks highly of Ehlinger as well. Ehlinger impressed Webb & Co. last year, his first in Denver, with his mobility standing out as a particularly appealing trait. Even though he did not make the 53-man roster at the end of the 2025 preseason, he opted to remain with the team’s practice squad and continue working under Webb and head coach Sean Payton rather than accept an active-roster opportunity elsewhere.

The fact that Ehlinger did receive active-roster offers indicates the Broncos would not be overvaluing him if they were to elevate him to the top backup job. Indeed, Gabriel says whomever ends up as the third-stringer may be another team’s No. 2 by the end of August, thereby suggesting Denver could eventually entertain trade offers for one of its understudies. 

Gabriel acknowledges he is going out on a bit of a limb with his projection and that Stidham is still seen as the favorite for the backup post. Of course, the Broncos will strongly consider keeping all three on the 53-man roster. 

Stidham is due to earn just shy of $6MM in 2026, the last year of his current deal. Ehlinger’s new one-year accord is worth $2MM.