ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Call him a Joker or call him a Cleaner.

No matter the moniker, new Broncos tight end Evan Engram is ready to contribute.

The two-time Pro Bowler, who signed with the Broncos in free agency, caught 114 passes for 963 yards as recently as 2023. And in Denver, he believes he can return to the best version of himself.

“I like to call myself a cleaner,” Engram said Thursday. “A guy that’s going to come in every single day and do what he’s asked at the highest level possible. A guy that’s going to embrace adversity, embrace challenges, but also bring a great amount of energy and leadership even in those times of adversity and humbleness in times of success. I want to earn everything that’s going to come my way, and hopefully, God willing, I can stay healthy and stay on the field and do what I do best, which is make plays with the football.”

Engram spent the previous three seasons with the Jaguars, and he visited Denver after being released in March ahead of the start of free agency. The veteran player said Denver was “the first team to call,” and he cited the team, front office, coaching staff, energy in the building and more among the reasons that the Broncos became his next destination.

“Just the expectations that are here, the team that’s here, the quarterback that’s here, the coach that’s here,” Engram said. “I literally can go on for days. I’m blessed to be here. Everything happens for a reason, and I’m really glad to be in Denver.”

In Head Coach Sean Payton, Engram will play for a coach who has spoken about his desire to add a Joker player to the offense. Engram said Payton pitched the role to him during his visit, and Engram leaned into the nickname on “X” after he officially signed. The mismatch position could help unlock another layer of the Broncos’ offense, and Engram said he’ll work to live up to the position.

“That’s a cool thing just to embrace,” Engram said of his social media post. “Sean talked about it a lot. It was a big part of the pitch coming here. The fans are great here, so just was kind of embracing that narrative a little bit. But I definitely see that as something that’s got to be earned with the way I work, the way I come in and learn the offense and gain the trust of Sean and Bo [Nix] and the rest of the coaches and the rest of the players.”

That process has already begun with Nix, and it started during Engram’s free-agent visit. After casually keeping track of Nix’s performance during the 2024 season — Engram and Offensive Pass Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Davis Webb were both drafted by the Giants in 2017 — Engram dove deeper during his free-agent process.

“Even just watching and supporting [Webb], I was always really observant of Bo Nix,” Engram said. “Obviously as a rookie, it was kind of a slow start last year. He’s learning the game. But once he turned it on, you could see it all over the tape. Flying around for the visits, [I] got to download some games on the laptop and watch some film, and I mean, the potential is through the roof.”