The Denver Broncos are keeping quarterback Sam Ehlinger on their 53-man roster to open the regular season, according to a report from KUSA-TV's Mike Klis.
Ehlinger, 27, was cut by Denver in 2025 when they trimmed the roster down to 53 players, and he returned on the practice squad. Ehlinger ended up turning down active-roster offers from three other NFL teams last fall to remain with the Broncos as their third-string quarterback.
After bouncing between the practice squad and active roster in 2025, Ehlinger now appears to be getting a reward for his loyalty last season.
“When it comes down to roster decisions and things of that nature, it's completely out of my control, and so I don't derive my confidence from the result of what happens with numbers
or things of that nature," Ehlinger said after the team's preseason finale last Friday. "I have great confidence in this organization, and the relationships that we have and the way that they've handled things up until this point. So I'm in a really good spot.”
Ehlinger was also asked after the team's preseason finale if he would return on the practice squad if cut from Denver's active roster.
“I mean, you have to look at all your options," the QB said. "So that's what we'll do. It's what we did last year, and look forward to whatever opportunity there is.”
Denver has until 4 p.m. MT on Sunday to finalize an initial 53-man roster for the 2026 NFL season. Ehlinger has made the 53, and he will once again serve as QB3 behind Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos made Sam Ehlinger decision ahead of 53-man roster deadline
