This was a Sean Payton gambit. And Payton used this prop for a specific message, as safety JL Skinner recalled: “Their tank is going to be empty. And ours is going to be full.’”
A few days after an eventual 33-30 overtime win, tight end Evan Engram smiled at his tank, still stashed in a nearby storage locker. His respect for Payton has only grown since signing with the Broncos in March. Engram marveled at the head coach’s gumption in OTAs, when Payton started talking in plain terms about a Super Bowl before this Denver group had any shred of cohesion. He marveled throughout the year, too, at Payton’s motivational tactics — those pregame theatrics that got the group “going,” as Engram said.
Between the lines, though, the two just never clicked. That much became clear from Week 1, when reserve Lucas Krull started a game over Engram. That much stayed clear through the regular season, as Engram played 17% fewer offensive snaps than veteran TE Adam Trautman.
All of it points to a potential divorce, heading into 2026.
“There were some tough moments in there,” Engram said Monday, in his end-of-year media availability. “I felt like I wanted to always contribute more. Every week, I want to contribute to the team. But, yeah. A lot of that stuff is out of my control, and I just kinda had to stop trying to figure out what that was and just focus on what I was asked to do.”
The Broncos handed $16.5 million fully guaranteed to Engram last offseason as a potential “joker,” a matchup threat in the middle triangle of the field. In June, he advertised himself as a “cleaner” for Bo Nix when formations got messy. But Engram rarely made it out from under the kitchen sink, finishing the year with just 50 catches for 461 yards and a single touchdown in 16 games.
Now, in the final year of a two-year deal, Engram’s set to make $11 million in base salary in 2026. Denver can save $3.8 million in dead cap space, according to Over The Cap, if they cut Engram before June. Squint, and the writing’s on the wall.
Still, whatever comes, Engram has no regrets. After the Broncos’ season-ending loss to the Patriots, The Post asked Engram to put himself back in his same shoes in March, choosing between the Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers in free agency.
Would he do it all over again?
“Yeah, I mean, I definitely felt God led me here for a reason … maybe it wasn’t exactly, things didn’t occur the way I saw them,” Engram told The Post. “But what He’s given me this year, man — I’ve got 10 more years left, from what I’ve learned this year.
“I mean, I have a great team around me,” Engram continued. “We’re going to ride until the wheels fall off.”
There’s still juice in his 31-year-old frame. Engram’s work ethic is matched by few in Denver’s locker room; personal wide receivers coach Drew Lieberman moved to Denver for six months this year to work with the tight end throughout the week. And the tight end smiled Monday when asked about his offseason plans, noting he’ll go back and self-scout concepts he struggled with against defenders in 2025.
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The Broncos, certainly, could elect to bring Engram back and hope he makes more of a dent as a specialty pass-catcher in 2026. There’s no immediate threat to his target share in Denver’s current tight-end room, unless Payton looks to bring in another weapon in the draft or free agency.
Regardless, wherever next season takes him, Engram doesn’t view his 2025 as any kind of failure.
“The wisdom I gained is going to be able to help so many younger players, and just my involvement as I continue to play,” Engram told The Post. “And just, I’m thankful for who I became as a man, this year.”
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