Sean Payton says the Broncos could add a quarterback during the offseason, while E.J. Warner continues to impress after minicamp work.
A key question is hovering over the Denver Broncos’ offseason: with three quarterbacks already on the roster, will head coach Sean Payton look for another signal-caller if the right opportunity appears?
Payton addressed that possibility during a Saturday press conference when asked whether the team might add a quarterback for the upcoming offseason program.. The Broncos currently have three quarterbacks listed on the roster. including starter Bo Nix. whose situation remains unsettled after a recent second procedure on a broken ankle suffered late in a playoff win over the Buffalo Bills.
In Payton’s view, adding another quarterback is not automatically a problem, at least on a logistical level.. He pointed out that the team has room across its roster allotment. noting that there are circumstances in which a player could be brought in on a trial basis for minicamp.. Still. he suggested the bigger concern would only be if the team believed someone was heading toward PUP status in training camp. which he indicated would not be the expectation in this case.
Payton also made clear he is not shutting the door on a signing.. “I’m not saying we couldn’t sign an additional quarterback. ” he said. while emphasizing that the team’s real focus is on what it sees from the two quarterbacks currently competing within the group.. The question. in other words. is how those players grade out once they get the reps and the work in front of them.
Among the names drawing attention is E.J.. Warner, whose role during the offseason has grown following a tryout connected to Denver’s minicamp.. Payton described Warner as a quarterback who reminds him of Chase Daniel. citing similar physical profile elements such as height. weight. and speed. and praising the way Warner has handled the learning curve.. In particular. he referenced Warner coming off a weekend with different terminology. and said the adaptation for Warner has been quick.
Payton also directly addressed comparisons between father and son.. E.J.. Warner is the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner. and Payton acknowledged that any similarities can start with the name and the spotlight that comes with it.. But he said the two are different players, highlighting that E.J.. Warner has stood out in aspects of day-to-day quarterback work. including the way he moves in and out of the huddle.
He further pointed to the mechanics of Warner’s throwing motion. describing a quick release and a smooth “stroke.” Payton added that E.J.. Warner’s path into the conversation has included a different college reputation than his father’s. mentioning that he is likely to be more celebrated coming out of Fresno State than Kurt Warner was from Northern Iowa.
The press conference then broadened into a discussion about how players increasingly make the jump from smaller schools to bigger programs.. Payton noted that in today’s college football landscape. it’s common to see standout quarterbacks climb into higher-profile opportunities. sometimes through the transfer ecosystem. and that the old pipeline no longer operates the same way it once did.
He linked that shift to modern roster-building realities by pointing to factors like money and easier movement between schools. describing them as contributors to how players from smaller programs—whether those are I-AA/FCS programs or other lower-profile levels—can end up at bigger Division I schools.. As an example of that broader movement, Payton referenced Warner’s own route, noting that E.J.. Warner went from Temple to Rice to Fresno State.
Payton also raised an HBCU-related example to illustrate how the discussion around “where a great player ends up” has evolved.. He cited Walter Payton as a point of comparison. questioning whether Walter Payton’s final destination would have been Jackson State or Alabama. and brought up Jerry Rice and the way top players from smaller stages can become part of larger programs’ recruiting and development plans.
Underneath the college-to-NFL conversation is the practical question that has been driving the Broncos’ quarterback evaluation this offseason.. If the team’s coaches believe their current options can develop quickly and handle the terminology and tempo changes. that may reduce the urgency of bringing in an additional quarterback.. But Payton’s comments also signal that Denver will stay flexible—especially given how Bo Nix’s status remains undetermined after the second procedure on his broken ankle.
Meanwhile, the window for competition is still open. After E.J. Warner’s tryout with the Broncos at minicamp, there is a possibility he could earn a spot on the offseason roster, with the ultimate decision shaped by how the quarterbacks perform when the team moves deeper into its offseason work.
Sean Payton Denver Broncos Bo Nix E.J. Warner quarterback offseason NFL minicamp Kurt Warner