The Denver Broncos still do not know which quarterback will be under center for them in Week 1 of the 2026 season. While Sean Payton hopes it will be Bo Nix, the third-year's broken ankle injury remains a lingering obstacle, causing the head coach to open up competition between Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger.
Nix broke his ankle in the AFC Divisional Round in January, but is already “ahead of schedule” and should be ready to take the field for OTAs at the end of May, Zac Stevens of DNVR Broncos reported. In the meantime, Payton said “nothing is set in stone” for the vacant QB2 job, per Denver Gazette reporter Chris Tomasson, opening the door for Stidham and Ehlinger to duke it out over the offseason.
Stidham and Ehlinger joined Nix in the Broncos' 2025 quarterback room. Stidham served as Nix's backup, while Ehlinger spent the majority of the season on the practice squad.
Between the two, Stidham is the only one to see the field in either of the last two seasons. The former New England Patriots draft pick was the player Payton turned to after Nix's injury for a snowed-out AFC Championship Game against his former team. By doing so, he joined a rare club of quarterbacks making their first start of the year in a conference championship game.
Ehlinger, who backed up Stidham in the AFC Championship Game, re-signed with the team on a one-year, $2 million deal in free agency. He has not seen the field since 2023, when he appeared in one game for the Indianapolis Colts.
