John Elway says Denver Broncos QB competition is ‘wide open’
By Brad Weiss
The Denver Broncos will head into the preseason with no clear cut choice as the team’s starting quarterback.
Last season, the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl with Peyton Manning under center. Heading into this season, there is no telling who will be the man under center in Week 1, but one thing is for sure: the competition is wide open.
Andrew Mason of denverbroncos.com tweeted out on Wednesday that general manager John Elway feels that is the case:
Elway -- QB competiton "is going to be wide open, as Gary said."
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) July 27, 2016
The Denver Broncos spent their first round draft selection on Paxton Lynch, the strong-armed quarterback from the University of Memphis. Last week, Lynch said he believes he can play right away, and he may be right.
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Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian are also on the roster, with Sanchez being the only one with any real NFL experience. Sanchez was signed by the team in the off-season to be the starter, and will start the preseason as the first one to get reps. Siemian will be the number two on the depth chart for now, but Head Coach Gary Kubiak has seen improvement in Lynch, and would not rule out him rising in pecking order.
Brock Osweiler was the logical choice to take over for Manning after his retirement, given that he started seven games for the team last season. However, Osweiler bolted Denver for the Houston Texans, leaving the Broncos with a hole at quarterback during the off-season.
The odds are Sanchez will get the first nod during the regular season, but he has struggled in a full-time role in the past, and the Broncos could easily use all three quarterbacks this season.
The Broncos will open the 2016 NFL season on Thursday Night Football, as they will host the Carolina Panthers in a rematch of Super Bowl 50.