A former Texas star quarterback who has carved out a long NFL career as a dependable backup arm.
Sam Ehlinger arrived in the league with a star college resume and has since settled into life as a veteran backup, most recently with Denver. He remains a locker-room fixture valued for his preparation even when the starting reps are scarce.
Path to the league
Ehlinger was a four-year starter at Texas from 2017 to 2020, finishing second in school history in passing yards, completions and total touchdowns behind Colt McCoy. He was named Sugar Bowl MVP after Texas's win over Georgia and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior before the Indianapolis Colts drafted him in the sixth round, 218th overall, in 2021.
Career highlights
Ehlinger spent his first four NFL seasons with the Colts, seeing his most extensive action in 2022 when he started three of four appearances, completing 64 of 101 passes for 573 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions after stepping in for an injured Nick Foles.
2025 season recap
Ehlinger signed with the Denver Broncos as an unrestricted free agent in April 2025 but did not appear in a regular-season game, serving as a depth quarterback. Denver kept him around, signing him to a one-year extension in March 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Sam Ehlinger
- Pro Football Reference: Sam Ehlinger
Statistics
2025 season and career▶Passing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CMP | ATT | YDS | TD | INT | RTG | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | colts | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2022 | colts | 4 | 64 | 101 | 573 | 3 | 3 | 76.1 | 33.8 |
| 2021 | colts | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | 35.0 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | colts | 4 | 17 | 87 | 5.1 | 0 | 19 |
| 2021 | colts | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 0 | 9 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Quarterback
- Group
- offense
- College
- Texas
- Hometown
- Austin, TX, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
Team
