Broncos Add Former AFC Rival QB Amid Flurry of Roster Moves

The Denver Broncos had to reshuffle their roster just one day before they take on the Tennessee Titans in the regular season opener. Among the slew of transactions the Broncos announced, former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger re-signed.

Ehlinger, the No. 218 overall pick of the 2021 draft, spent the first three seasons with the Colts, signing with the Broncos in free agency this past offseason and turning heads in training camp.

The Broncos cut Ehlinger at the end of the preseason when they set their 53-man roster.

Former Colts QB Sam Ehlinger Rejoins Broncos Ahead of Titans Game

The Broncos only had two other quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, starter Bo Nix and backup Jarrett Stidham, after cutting Ehlinger in late August.

He was on the team’s practice squad after signing to it following his cut.

“Per source, Broncos are signing QB Sam Ehlinger to their 53-man roster for Sunday’s game vs. Tennessee,” 9News’ Mike Klis reported on X on September 6. “Ehlinger rewarded for terrific preseason. Had 53-man offers from two other teams.”

According to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson, “Source says there was no new offer for #Broncos QB Sam Ehlinger to go to another team’s 53 beyond the two offers he previously got. Source said the Broncos had been planning to put him on the 53 and were just waiting for the chance. That chance came today.”

Ehlinger, who turns 27 on September 30, has completed 63.4% of his passes for 573 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in his career.

If all goes well, his only role on game days will be on the sidelines with Stidham.

Amid quick speculation about a corresponding move to add Ehlinger, the Broncos provided an answer, making several more roster moves with the Titans (who were 3-14 in 2024) set to visit them in the Mile High City.

Broncos Lose Self-Proclaimed ‘6th Man’ to IR

To make room for Ehlinger, the Broncos shut down defensive tackle Malcolm Roach for four weeks. Roach was with Broncos head coach Sean Payton on the New Orleans Saints.

“Per source, Broncos are placing DL Malcolm Roach (calf strain) on short-term IR,” Klis reported in a separate post. “There is hope he will return as soon as week 5. Suffered injury during practice Thursday.”

Roach started one game in 2024, but he played in all 17 and considers himself their “sixth man.”

Roach cited comments from Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph about “understanding” the team’s “culture” is the “biggest thing.”

He cited the freedom that he has on the field when filling in for D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers, and Zach Allen for his buy-in, name-dropping former NBA player-turned-media personality Lou Williams, a three-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner, in another anecdote.

“The culture is a shared set of values that everybody got to have. And if I’m over there pouting because I’m not starting, that’s an energy vampire. Why would I worry about that when I’m still playing 40 snaps a game? I’m still playing. When crunch time on the line, I’m still out there in the game,” Roach told reporters in August. “I got that analogy from Lou Will, basketball player. He was like, ‘Man, I get to go in the game and get up as many shots as I want. When D.J., Zach, and JFM get tired, I get to go in there and get to go to work.”

Roach said bringing “quality” whenever stepping onto the field is how players last in the NFL.

“It’s just a role you got to embrace. And roles change. You never know what’ll happen. I might have to step up and be a starter for some games. You never know. But at the end of the day, I know what I get paid to do, and I know what I’m here to do, and we trying to win a Super Bowl,’ Roach said. “I think we’ll be better off if I’m helping in that way than not.”

Broncos Elevate Practice Squad Duo Amid Injuries

The Broncos wrapped up an active day with a pair of roster elevations. They called up linebacker Levelle Bailey and recently signed fullback Adam Prentice from the practice squad. Tomasson reported an expectation for that in an article on September 5.

Bailey is taking the place on the gameday roster of fellow LB Dre Greenlaw. Greenlaw is dealing with a quad injury, but could return as soon as Week 2.

Prentice is filling in for Michael Burton, who is out for the season, and Nate Adkins.

The Broncos announced all three of Adkins, Greenlaw, and Roach would miss the regular season opener in the team’s injury report on Friday.

Per Vegas Insider, the Broncos remain 7.5-point favorites, tying them with the Washington Commanders (New York Giants) for the biggest favorite in Week 1, though that could shift on game day following their roster moves.

Broncos Defense ‘Terrorizes’ No. 1 Overall Pick in NFL Debut

There are few things, if any, that should be more unappealing in professional sports right now than taking the field against the Denver Broncos defense — particularly if you’re an opposing quarterback.

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback and 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward found out as much in his first NFL game as the Broncos terrorized him from start to finish in a 20-12 Denver win in Week 1.

Ward is the first rookie quarterback to start a season opener against the Broncos since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger and was sacked 6 times with 12 QB pressures.

The Broncos led the NFL with 63.0 sacks in 2024 and brought back a pair of NFL All-Pros on the defensive front with defensive end Zach Allen and edge rusher Nik Bonitto, as well as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

“In his historic debut, Ward completed 12-of-28 passes for 112 yards with no touchdowns while taking six sacks, as all 12 of Tennessee’s points came from kicker Joey Slye,” Bleacher Report’s Taylyn Hadley wrote on September 7.

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Broncos Pass Rushers Land Big Money Deals

The Broncos owners have opened up the coffers for their defensive stars the last few years to make sure their top talent stays put.

Surtain signed a 4-year, $96.1 million contract extension before last season that made him the highest paid cornerback in NFL history at the time. Edge rusher Jonathon Cooper signed a 4-year, $60 million contract extension late last season.

Allen signed a 4-year, $102 million contract extension on August 2. Bonitto signed a 4-year, $106 million contract extension on September 4.

Perhaps even more impressive for the Broncos than the 6 sacks was that they were from 6 different players; Bonitto, Allen, Cooper, Justin Strnad, Jonah Elliss and Ja’Quan McMillan.

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Ward’s Unusual Journey To No. 1 Overall Pick

While Ward’s rough day ended with a loss, he showed signs of why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft — including delivering several clutch throws late that were simply dropped by Tennessee’s receivers.

Ward was the first No. 1 overall pick for the franchise since University of Texas running back Earl Campbell in 1978, when they were till the Houston Oilers.

Ward, 6-foot-2 and 219 pounds, played for 3 different colleges over 5 seasons from 2020 to 2024.

Lightly recruited out of high school in West Columbia, Texas, Ward played for FCS Incarnate Word for his first 2 seasons, winning the Jerry Rice Award as the nation’s top FCS freshman in 2020 then winning Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 when he threw for 4,648 yards, 47 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 games.

When Incarnate Word head coach Eric Morris left to become the offensive coordinator at Washington State, Ward followed and started for the Cougars in 2022 and 2023, throwing for 6,966 yards, 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 2 seasons.

Ward left Washington State for an NIL deal at Miami worth an estimated $2.1 million for his final season in 2024, where he threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in 13 games.

According to BetMGM, the Titans had a projected over/under win total of just 5.5 wins for 2025 — the next-to-lowest number in the NFL ahead of just the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns at 5.5 wins.

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