Updated Jan. 19, 2026, 3:21 p.m. MT

After losing quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending injury in December, the Indianapolis Colts brought a 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement in an effort to save their playoff hopes.

Indy went 0-3 with Rivers as a starter and missed the postseason, but the veteran QB put in a respectable showing, completing 63% of his passes for 544 yards with four touchdowns against three interceptions.

Now, just over a month after the Colts lost Jones, the Denver Broncos have lost Bo Nix to a season-ending ankle injury. Rivers is not an option for Denver because he ended the season on Indy’s roster, which means he won’t be eligible to become a free agent again until March.

The Broncos also couldn’t pursue Derek Carr, 34, because he’s on the New Orleans Saints‘ reserve/retired list, and other QBs who ended the year on active rosters, including Aaron Rodgers, 42, and Russell Wilson, 37, (ha!), aren’t eligible to join clubs as free agents until March.

And the most notable big name — Tom Brady (48) — is not eligible to play because he’s a co-owner of an NFL team (the Las Vegas Raiders). And the list of free agents still available is very underwhelming.

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So, who could Denver bring in? Here’s a quick list of eight retired QBs the Broncos could call, with some more realistic than the others.

Retired quarterback options for Broncos

1. Tim Tebow, 38: Nix and Tebow are the only quarterbacks drafted by Denver who have won a playoff game with the franchise, but Tebow hasn’t been in the NFL as a quarterback since 2015, and his attempt to convert to tight end in 2021 did not go well. He’s not coming back.

2. Peyton Manning, 47: Manning still lives in the Denver area, and he helps the franchise as he’s able to, but it’s been 10 years since he won Super Bowl 50, and his performance was declining even then. He will always be beloved by the Broncos, but Manning can’t save the team this time.

3. Drew Brees, 47: Brees, of course, won a Super Bowl with Sean Payton, but he said back in 2023 that his right arm “does not work” anymore, and he throws left-handed in his backyard. “I don’t throw with my right arm anymore,” Brees told ESPN in 2023. “If I could, absolutely I’d still be playing.” So he’s not an option.

4. Colin Kaepernick, 38: The Broncos, led by John Elway at the time, came close to trading for Kaepernick in 2016. That was ten years ago, though, and he’s been out of the NFL since 2017.

5. Robert Griffin III, 35: RGIII hasn’t played in the NFL since 2020, but he told FTW’s Prince J. Grimes in December, “If someone called me, I could certainly play.” He’s unlikely to get a call, though.

6. Andrew Luck, 36: What a story that would be. Seven years after retirement, Luck could return to lead Denver to a Super Bowl, continuing the legacy of ex-Colts QBs with the Broncos set by John Elway and Peyton Manning. If he was going to unretire, though, Luck likely would have done so years ago.

7. Nick Foles, 36: He officially announced his retirement in August 2024, but Foles knows what it takes to beat the Patriots in a championship game. One last ride?

8. Ryan Tannehill, 37: Of the QBs on this list, Tannehill feels like the most realistic option (but still not a likely candidate). He just officially announced his retirement in November, and a return to the NFL would not be as shocking as the other names above.

After adding Ben DiNucci to their practice squad, the Broncos have three healthy quarterbacks in Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger and DiNucci. Stidham is set to start in the AFC Championship game on Sunday, and Denver will probably stick with those three QBs for the rest of the postseason. If the Broncos are going to get a miracle at QB, it will come from Stidham stepping up and leading them to glory.

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