As far as Jokers go, what we've seen from Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram in the first two weeks of the season is much more of the Jared Leto variety and a lot less of the Heath Ledger or Mark Hamill variety. We might even be pushing Joaquin Phoenix, "sad Joker" territory if things keep going the way they have.
When the 2025 offseason got going, Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that the number one priority for his team was to get a "joker" for his offense. The "joker" has been very clearly defined by Sean Payton as a running back or tight end with elite receiving skills. It's not overly complicated; it's just a chess piece for the offense with outstanding abilities in the passing game.
And to be fair, Engram has those qualities. The Broncos signed the veteran free agent to a two-year deal when he was cut by the Jaguars, but his production through the first two weeks of the season has been a lot less "Joker" and a lot more "joke".
Evan Engram disappointing in first two weeks with Denver Broncos
Through the first two weeks of the season, the numbers paint a pretty staggering picture.
For what Sean Payton called the number one "must have" of the entire offseason, you'd think Evan Engram -- even with a calf injury that occurred in Week 1 -- would play more than 51 total snaps in two full games, just 38 percent of the offensive snap count.
For a frame of reference there, Troy Franklin played 49 snaps in Week 2 alone. The Broncos have been using Engram as a very part-time player, which should mean that when he's on the field, he's getting targeted...right?
Wrong.
Through two games, Engram has been targeted a total of six times. On two of those targets, which were designed plays to go directly to Engram on quick outs, the opposing defense has read the play like a book and nearly jumped the routes for easy interceptions (Amani Hooker in Week 1, Kenny Moore in Week 2).
The Broncos are still figuring out how to incorporate this chess piece into their offense. As much as Sean Payton loves to use a variety of different personnel, it's been extremely discouraging to see one of the team's most important offseason acquisitions play less than 40 percent of the snaps and barely get involved in the passing game.
We all expected Engram to be a much higher-volume target for the Broncos' passing game and the "easy button" the offense desperately needed. If he's going to be that, Sean Payton is going to have to put him in those positions. Right now, we're just not seeing it, and it's frustrating after just two weeks of action.