Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Sean Payton Addresses Broncos' Confidence in TE Evan Engram

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Zack Kelberman | Last updated Nov 5, 2025 2:15 PM ET

Suffice to say, the Denver Broncos' marquee addition of tight end Evan Engram hasn't gone entirely to plan. Engram, a former Pro Bowler, was signed to be the feared "Joker" in head coach Sean Payton's offense — but instead the return-on-investment has been laughable thus far.

Through eight appearances, Engram has caught 26 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown. The 31-year-old has yet to eclipse five receptions or 42 receiving yards in a game, and he's currently grading out as Pro Football Focus' 57th-ranked TE among 79 qualifiers.

Engram is coming off his first goose-egg of 2025 in last Sunday's victory over the Houston Texans — three targets, zero catches — while continuing to display unrefined chemistry with quarterback Bo Nix, who missed him on what should have been an easy scoring toss.

Under a microscope, the Nix-Engram disconnect has been a quiet but persistent issue this season, which Payton finally addressed on Tuesday.

“I think it happens sometimes," he told reporters. "There will be a game where—it’s hard to predict where the ball goes sometimes. Sometimes the coverage dictates it. We’ll keep looking for those touches. Last week was a big quarters [defense] team, but we didn’t get much quarters. What went from a big interior game became a more exterior game with as much single safety as they played. He’s doing really good.”

A Plus Matchup Awaits

In fairness to Engram, the Broncos' offense collectively struggled in Week 9 against the Texans' vaunted defense, which limited Denver to 271 total yards and just over 25 minutes of possession time. Nix was held under 200 yards passing; the team's leading receiver was rookie running back RJ Harvey (five catches, 51 yards, one touchdown).

A better day at the office awaits the group on Thursday Night Football, when the Broncos host the 2-6 Las Vegas Raiders, who rank 23rd in points allowed, 21st in passing yards allowed, and 19th in total yards allowed.

“To us first, we have to win them," Nix said Tuesday of the divisional matchup. "These are the ones that have the most weight to them. These are the ones that you have to go in there and win to set yourself up for the playoffs. As a team, these are the most important for us. Then obviously, this organization, city and fans have been playing these teams for a long time. A lot of rivalries. These are the fun ones. It’s like playing a conference game in college. These are the ones you look forward to. These are why you’re a Bronco, to beat teams like this. Just like all the other ones, it’s not going to be easy. We’re going to have to play really well. It will be a fun Thursday Night Football environment.”

This article first appeared on Denver Broncos on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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