Free-agent QB Sam Ehlinger signing with Denver Broncos

Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger has found a new home. The free agent has landed with the Denver Broncos for the 2025 season.

According to a report from Jordan Schultz, Ehlinger is signing a one-year deal with Denver. However, the exact value of the deal isn’t yet clear. He chose to go to the Broncos, where he is expected to back up Bo Nix. Jarrett Stidham is also in the Broncos’ quarterback room.

Denver’s quarterback room took a hit earlier in the offseason when Zach Wilson left for the Miami Dolphins. It’s now expected that Sam Ehlinger will come in and fill his role as the third-string quarterback for the season.

For his career, Ehlinger has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 573 yards and three touchdowns to three interceptions. On top of that, he’s rushed for 96 yards in his professional career.

Sam Ehlinger was originally a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Colts. His rookie season would be marked by injuries, including a sprained ACL, which landed him on the injured reserve. By 2022, he worked his way up to briefly being the starting quarterback, starting in three games for Indianapolis. That offseason, the Colts hit the reset button at the quarterback position, selecting Anthony Richardson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Since Richardson has gotten to Indianapolis, he has struggled to stay on the field due to his health and was briefly benched. However, Ehlinger only appeared in one game in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Instead, Gardner Minshew and Joe Flacco largely would replace Richardson.

This offseason, the Colts brought in Daniel Jones, the former New York Giants starting quarterback. He and Anthony Richardson are expected to split reps this offseason and compete to be the starting quarterback in Indianapolis.

The Denver Broncos hired Sean Payton in 2023 to look to rebuild the franchise in a very difficult division. The quarterback position, in particular, was a point of concern. Now, after Bo Nix had one of the best rookie seasons among the six quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. In doing so, he established himself as the franchise quarterback moving forward in Denver.

Sam Ehlinger will provide depth and experience in the quarterback room for Denver. His experience, coupled with working alongside quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, should provide a safety valve for the Broncos if anything were to happen to Bo Nix.