For a moment, it seemed as though No. 3 quarterback Sam Ehlinger was going to make the Denver Broncos' 53-man roster. If you were following the team's roster moves in real time on Tuesday, you saw that he was one of the last confirmed players to be let go by the team. However, talk started immediately that the Broncos would like to have him back.
That happened on Wednesday when he was added to the team's practice squad, but that came after he made an impressive decision, one that would be considered a head scratcher by some. Reportedly, Ehlinger chose to sign with the Broncos' practice squad rather than take a spot on a 53-man roster for more than one team.
Yes, really.
Pretty remarkable Sam Ehlinger had multiple offers to join other 53-man rosters and turned them down to join the Broncos' practice squad.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) August 27, 2025
Tells you a lot about what he thinks about the Broncos, Sean Payton and Bo Nix.
Why did Sam Ehlinger choose to stick with the Broncos?@Jeff_Legwold gives us the answer:@DMacSportsCO @Tyler_Polumbus @ballhog44 pic.twitter.com/FWjvpG3eJZ
— 92.5 FM - Denver's Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) August 27, 2025
Last season, the Broncos kept three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster with Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson. It was well documented that those three became close friends and both Stidham and Wilson enjoyed helping Nix prepare for games. It seems that the team has created a similar vibe with Ehlinger in the place of Wilson.
Ehlinger played well this preseason and was definitely good enough to make the roster; the Broncos just had too much depth in total. But it speaks volumes as to the culture that Sean Payton has created with this team that things like this are happening.
Take a listen to these words from Ehlinger following the team's preseason finale:
To Broncos 3rd-string QB Sam Ehlinger…
— Scotty Gange (@Scotty_G6) August 23, 2025
Would you rather be a 3 here? Or a 2nd string elsewhere? pic.twitter.com/TUw3m9MXxl
In three NFL seasons, Ehlinger has played in eight games and made three starts, all with the Colts. He has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 573 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
READ: See who made the Denver Broncos' practice squad
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