Broncos Have Jersey Conundrum Amid Evan Engram Signing

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matthew Davis | Last updated Mar 13, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Denver Broncos found a high-caliber tight end in Evan Engram, but USA Today Broncos Wire writer Jon Heath sees a problem coming.

Engram wore No. 17 with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2022 to 2024, and he wore it in college at Ole Miss. Fellow Broncos wideout Devaughn Vele already wears No. 17, though he had No. 81 in mind beforehand, as Heath explained.

"After receiving a $23 million contract from Denver that includes an $8 million signing bonus, Engram might be able to convince Vele to loan him No. 17 for a small (or perhaps not-so-small) fee," Heath wrote.

It's worth noting that Vele's jersey change to No. 17 came about when wideout Lil'Jordan Humphrey chose No. 84, and the jersey consideration didn't end at wideout, as Heath explained. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix took back his No. 10 number from college as a rookie last year because former backup Zach Wilson agreed to switch to No. 4 instead.

Wilson no longer plays for the Broncos as he recently left for the Miami Dolphins. In Engram's case, he arrives to fill a big need for Nix and the Broncos.

No Denver tight end had more than 19 catches, 188 yards, and three touchdowns all season in 2024. That could change in a hurry with Engram.

Last season alone, Engram had 47 catches for 365 yards and a touchdown in nine games for a Jaguars squad that scored 18.8 points per game amid a 4-13 record. Overall, Engram has a career 17-game average of 78 catches for 775 yards and four touchdowns.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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