Quarterback Sam Ehlinger will not be leaving the Broncos.
Ehlinger has agreed to stick with Denver’s practice squad, according to reporter Jordan Schultz.
Schultz notes Ehlinger had multiple offers to sign on a team’s 53-man roster. But because Ehlinger is a vested veteran after completing his rookie contract, he was not subject to waivers and instead will stick with the Broncos.
Ehlinger, 26, has appeared in eight games with three starts in his career. His most extensive playing time came in 2022 when he went 0-3 in three starts. He completed 63.4 percent of his throws for 573 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions that year.
With second-year quarterback Bo Nix set to start, the Broncos also have Jarrett Stidham on their 53-man roster to back him up.
The Broncos added a couple of running backs to the roster this offseason and their arrival helped push a 2024 newcomer off the depth chart in Denver.
Audric Estime was waived ahead of his second NFL season. The 2024 fifth-round pick ran 76 times for 310 yards and two touchdowns during his rookie season.
The Broncos also waived or released linebackers Levelle Bailey, Garret Wallow, Garrett Nelson and Jordan Turner; wide receivers Michael Bandy, Courtney Jackson, Jerjuan Newton, A.T. Perry and Kyrese Rowan; offensive linemen Marques Cox, Joe Michalski, Will Sherman, and Calvin Throckmorton; tight ends Caleb Lohner and Caden Prieskorn; defensive backs Damarri Mathis, Quinton Newsome, Jaden Robinson, Keidron Smith, Delarrin Turner-Yell, Sam Franklin Jr. and Reese Taylor; Defensive linemen Jordan Miller and Kristian Williams; running back Blake Watson; quarterback Sam Ehlinger; and fullback Adam Prentice.
Linebacker Drew Sanders and fullback Michael Burton both landed on injured reserve, but only Sanders was designated for return during the regular season.
The Broncos started making their cuts on Thursday.
The NFL’s daily transaction report shows that they waived seven players off their roster. That leaves them with 30 more moves to make in order to hit the 53-man limit by Tuesday afternoon’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Defensive back Micah Abraham, linebacker Joquin Davis, defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour, linebacker Andrew Farmer, defensive back Joshua Pickett, guard Xavier Truss, and guard Clay Webb were all let go.
If they go unclaimed, they could return to the Broncos practice squad later this week but there are a lot of players hitting the open market so Denver could go many different directions to fill out that squad.
Last season the Broncos were a surprise playoff team while the Titans earned the first overall pick in the draft, and so it’s no surprise that when they meet in Week One, the Broncos are heavy favorites.
The Broncos are favored by 7.5 over the Titans, which makes Denver the biggest favorite of Week One.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is coming off an impressive rookie season, and if he continues to develop in Sean Payton’s offense the way the Broncos are hoping, they’re going to be a dangerous team this season.
The Titans used the first overall pick on quarterback Cam Ward in the expectation that he’ll become a franchise quarterback, but there’s not a lot around him to generate optimism that he can make the playoffs as a rookie the way Nix did.
The betting odds say it’s going to be a tough first outing for Ward.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton said on Thursday that 90 percent of the players his teams have traded away over the years have been moved because they weren’t “the right fit,” but this week’s deal involving wide receiver Devaughn Vele didn’t fall into that group.
Payton said three teams called the Broncos to show interest in trading for Vele and that the initial response was no because they valued what Vele brings to the offense. The Saints upped their offer to include a 2026 fourth-round pick, however, and the move became “something we would do.” The overall depth of the receiver room also helped make it possible to pull the trigger.
“The following day, it picked up,” Payton said, via the team’s website. “It became more serious. And then we’re having to look at the roster as a whole and trying to find the right and the best 53.”
Second-year wideout Troy Franklin has had a strong summer and the arrival of third-round pick Pat Bryant alongside Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims means that Vele wouldn’t be guaranteed a weekly role in the offense, so the Broncos opted for the draft assets instead of someone Payton believes will be “a real good player” in New Orleans.
