Broncos invite son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner to minicamp
· Yahoo Sports
If his dad's journey to the Pro Football Hall of Fame was any indication, E.J. Warner is starting his NFL career off right.
Warner, the son of former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, has accepted an invitation from the Denver Broncos to try out for the team during its rookie minicamp over the coming weekend. His upcoming shot with the Broncos comes one week after accepting an invitation to try out for the Kansas City Chiefs at their rookie minicamp.
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Like his father 32 years ago, E.J. Warner went without hearing his name called in this year's NFL draft. And like his father, Warner's first tryout with a team as an undrafted free agent did not end with a new contract.
The son of the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback spent the 2025 college season with the Fresno State Bulldogs, where he went 192-of-277 passing to lead the Mountain West with his 69.3% completion rate. Warner had 2,030 passing yards and 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. He led the Bulldogs to a win in the Arizona Bowl, where he was named MVP.
Prior to last season, E.J. Warner had played two seasons for the Temple Owls in 2022 and 2023 to begin his collegiate career. He transferred to Rice for the 2024 season and played there one year before transferring again to Fresno State.
E.J. Warner's career could mirror his father, Kurt Warner's
In 1994, Kurt Warner tried out for the Packers, who had Brett Favre, Mark Brunell and Ty Detmer on their roster. He was cut from the team and famously spent that season working at a grocery store.
From 1995 to 1997, Kurt Warner played in the Arena Football League for the Iowa Barnstormers. After making the All-Arena team in 1996 and 1997, Warner got a tryout with the Chicago Bears. The tryout never happened because of a bug bite he got on his throwing elbow while he was on his honeymoon in Jamaica days earlier.
It wasn't until December 1997, nearly four years after going undrafted, that Warner signed his future contract with the Rams. It took until 1999 for Warner to get his first NFL start, and the rest is history.
As E.J. Warner prepares for his second team tryout in 2026 after going undrafted, he'll do so following in the footsteps of his father – though he's likely hoping it won't take him quite as long to get his first NFL contract.
Broncos QB depth chart
Nix is entering the 2026 season coming off a broken ankle he suffered in the AFC divisional round. The injury knocked him out for the AFC championship game, which Stidham started, and the Broncos lost the title game, 10-7.
Ehlinger signed a second consecutive one-year contract with the Broncos in March. The former Colts quarterback did not appear in any games for the Broncos in 2025, spending the season on the team's practice squad.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is E.J. Warner related to Kurt Warner? Broncos invite QB to minicamp