Two teams offered Ehlinger the No. 2/3 QB role. Instead, he decided to stay with a familiar Sean Payton system as the Broncos’ No. 3 QB on the practice squad.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — To understand why Sam Ehlinger may have surrendered a promotion that came with heightened status, benefits and a few hundred thousand dollars, you’ve got to understand the backup quarterback long game.
Essentially, Ehlinger’s quest to become an established No. 2 quarterback for the long term meant staying on the familiar road through the Sean Payton offensive system with an assist from Davis Webb. After spending his first four NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts as their No. 3 QB, Ehlinger sees long-term advancement by presently staying on the Broncos’ practice squad as the No. 3 quarterback.
“This is the first time I can ever recall – and we spent a lot of time talking with him – where a player like Sam had an opportunity with two clubs to go be the 2, and chose to stay (on the Broncos’ practice squad),’’ Broncos head coach Sean Payton said following the team’s Thursday morning practice.
Some context. It’s not a stretch to say Ehlinger had offers to be the No. 2 quarterback with two different teams but it’s complicated. It was really a No. 2/No. 3 role offer he was getting. One team’s situation had an injury where Ehlinger probably would have been the No. 2 QB for a couple weeks but then might drop to No. 3. The other team wanted him to become their true No. 2 QB, but it would have been a few weeks until it happened because Ehlinger would have needed time to learn a new system.
So, in one case, Ehlinger would have been a No. 2 short-term and then No. 3, and in the other case he would have been No. 3 with a good chance to be No. 2. It was not a hard-and-fast bypass the No. 2 job to stay put at No. 3.
It’s also worth pointing out that every NFL quarterback will tell you that one aspect about the job no one else understands is how knowing an offensive system inside and out is vital to a quarterback’s success. It’s no accident, for instance, the Broncos’ current No. 2 quarterback, Jarrett Stidham, just looked like a preseason-version of Joe Montana in his third year in the Payton offense.
Ehlinger also put on some great tape in the Broncos’ last two preseason games, completing 14 of 16 against Arizona and 22 of 31 for 198 yards in the finale Saturday at New Orleans.
“He was better than I anticipated,’’ said Broncos general manager George Paton. “He’s always been a good athlete. I thought he was always efficient. I didn’t realize he had the arm strength. He’s developed that arm strength over the last couple years.”
But to go to a new team and operate a new offensive system with the same efficiency? It would have taken a few weeks.
Now jump ahead to 2026 free agency where backup quarterbacks like Stidham command a two-year, $12 million contract. If Ehlinger is going to sell teams, he is a legit No. 2 quarterback in 2026, it would behoove him to continue with Payton’s system in 2025.
“That’s a credit to the program,’’ Payton said. “And I said to him, look, same thing I said to (former Saints’ backup quarterback) Teddy Bridgewater or any of these guys, my job is to make you a lot of money here or somewhere else.’’
We shouldn’t get too hung up on the money Ehlinger may be losing this year. It’s true the most he can make on the practice squad is $396,000 over an 18-week season. The minimum salary for a player with four years of service time on the 53-man roster is $1.17 million. A difference of $774,000.
But don’t be surprised if the Broncos figure out a way to make the money right. After all, getting him to agree to the practice squad took some recruiting, didn’t it? They could call him up to the 53-man roster in, say, week 10, give him a nice signing bonus with his new deal. Some how, some way they can close the dollar gap.
Another scenario: Maybe at the trading deadline a team in decent playoff shape loses its quarterback to injury. Wouldn’t Stidham be one of the first quarterbacks such team makes an inquiry?
And even if Ehlinger does forsake a few hundred thousand dollars this year, his preseason play and loyalty to the Broncos could result in a multi-million contract next year. In other words, Ehlinger stepped over a nickel because it gives him a better chance at a quarter.
Understand this, too: The No. 2 job is a step closer to the ultimate goal of becoming a starter. Not many No. 3 quarterbacks have made the leap to No. 1. But for now, Ehlinger believes the best way to get to No. 2 is being staying with Payton and the Broncos as the No. 3.
“He’s someone that I would say has been a real pleasant surprise,’’ Payton said. “His ability and I like the player a lot. So I think the tape, there’s a number of teams looking for a two, whether it was an injury or not but to hang on to a player on your practice squad that’s significant.”