Why Sam Ehlinger has legitimate chance to be Broncos' No. 2 quarterback in 2026

One thing the Denver Broncos have not had for some time now is a quarterback controversy. Bo Nix is the team's starting quarterback for the foreseeable future and at least as of last year, Jarrett Stidham was entrenched as his primary backup. 

But things could change in 2026. 

Stidham is going to have to fend off Sam Ehlinger in a competition for the No. 2 job this summer. Ehlinger, who has made just three starts in his professional career and has not played in a regular-season game since 2023, could have a great chance of overtaking Stidham. 

There have been reports out of OTAs that Ehlinger looks better than Stidham at this stage of the offseason. 

But the Broncos also really like Ehlinger. Last season, he decided to rejoin the Broncos after being cut ahead of the finalization of the 53-man roster, despite better offers coming his way. The team, still with the poor play of Stidham in last year's AFC Championship Game fresh on the mind, could be ready to reward that loyalty. 

But Ehlinger will have to get it done on the field. How can he do that? Well, there is one area in which he will clearly be better than Stidham, and that is ad-libbing and making plays out of nothing. In addition, he is very effective as a runner and can make plays with his feet. For instance, you won't see Stidham do this:

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) August 23, 2025

Those are the kinds of plays that coaches don't forget and when you factor in this

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Broncos don't need another QB despite prediction that team could land one

The Broncos hope that neither Stidham or Ehlinger has to play much this coming season, if at all, but Nix will be coming off a broken ankle and one of them is going to need to be prepared to step in. Ehlinger could be able to ride some momentum into the preseason and steal the job away. 

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