The Denver Broncos enter the summer with little uncertainty about their starting quarterback. Bo Nix remains the clear choice when healthy. The bigger question heading into OTAs and training camp is who will be standing directly behind him on the depth chart.

Bo Nix remains Denver's QB1, but he's working his way back from the ankle injury that cut short his 2025 postseason. That reality had naturally placed more focus on the quarterbacks behind him, with head Sean Payton hinting at a potential position battle.

“We see competition," said Sean Payton on March 31. "And it wasn’t different last year. There’s nothing that is etched in stone. There just isn’t, and that’s a good thing,”

For the last three seasons, Jarrett Stidham has occupied the primary backup spot. However, the Broncos' decision to bring back Sam Ehlinger on a one-year, $2 million deal last offseason suggests the team wants genuine competition behind Nix.

Denver's season came to a painful end when Stidham's two turnovers contributed to a 10-7 loss against New England. That led to questions about whether Payton would expand the backup quarterback's role heading into 2026.

“No, I would say in my 19 years, the starters run most of them," Payton said during rookie minicamp.

Analyst Chad Jensen pointed out that last year's situation felt different. Stidham had recently signed a new contract and was widely viewed as the established backup. Ehlinger was still relatively new to the team and spent much of the offseason trying to carve out a place on the roster

Stidham enters camp with more experience. He has made four NFL starts, while Ehlinger has started three games during his career.

Competition has always been a key part of Payton's approach to developing quarterbacks. During his time with the New Orleans Saints, he oversaw a quarterback battle between Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston.

Meanwhile, one of the games from last season might be the deciding factor.

AFC Performance Continues to Add Intrigue to Denver Broncos' QB2 Race

While Nix is expected to remain the starter once fully healthy, last season's AFC Championship Game still influences how the team views its depth chart.

Stidham was called up to start against the New England Patriots after Nix's injury. It was his first start in more than two years. It was a high-pressure situation as there was a Super Bowl on the line.

He opened the game well and led Denver on a touchdown drive on its first possession.

After that, however, the offense struggled to find its footing. Stidham finished the night completing 17 of 31 passes for 133 yards with one touchdown.

It came with a setback as the quarterback failed to convert a key fourth-and-one opportunity inside New England's end of the field.

Now, with Sam Ehlinger back in the picture and OTAs underway, Denver appears ready to allow both quarterbacks to compete.

Who will grab the backup quarterback role in Denver? Share your thoughts.

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Written by

Debanjali Rakshit

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar