No. 1 QB jobs still up for grabs in NFL
The National Football League’s regular season is getting close.
Teams are set to play Week 3 of the four-game pre-season, the primary dress rehearsal for the games that actually matter.
Some starting quarterback jobs remain unresolved. Some were just settled, at least for the time being. Here is a quick look at them:
Broncos: Trevor Siemian over Paxton Lynch
Denver’s first-year coach, Vance Joseph, has decided to go with Siemian, a seventh-round draft choice in 2015, over Lynch, a first-rounder last year. The Broncos like Siemian’s calm demeanour and on-field poise. He played reasonably well last season, throwing for 3,401 yards and 18 touchdowns in 14 starts. But the Broncos missed the playoffs, and the move to trade up for Lynch in last year’s draft seemed to identify him as the quarterback of the future. At least for now, that future remains on hold, and Siemian has a chance to tighten his grip on the starting job if he plays well.
Texans: Tom Savage over Deshaun Watson
Houston’s stated plan all along, even after trading up for Watson in this year’s draft, was to start Savage, and coach Bill O’Brien has stuck to that. O’Brien went to Savage as the starter last season when he benched Brock Osweiler, only to go back to Osweiler for the playoffs after Savage suffered a concussion. So it makes sense, in some ways, to stick with Savage. It is the safest move. But the Texans, so starved in recent years for a competent quarterback to complement their strong defence, moved up to get Watson for a reason, after missing out when Tony Romo retired rather than moving on to a new team. Watson was a big-game QB at Clemson and he will bring an added element to the offense with his improvisational skills if and when the Texans turn to him.
Browns: DeShone Kizer leading Brock Osweiler
Kizer is to start Saturday night’s pre-season game at Tampa, giving him a chance to win the job for the regular season. It makes sense for Browns coach Hue Jackson to give Kizer every chance. The Browns, coming off a one-win season, should be improved with the young talent they added. But they continued to avoid trying to land a prospective franchise quarterback early in the draft, before taking Kizer in the second round. If he’s not the answer, the Browns will have to address the issue again in next year’s draft. So they’d better find out about Kizer as soon as possible. In the meantime, they could part ways with Osweiler. That seemed to be the plan when they traded for Osweiler in the off-season in what amounted to the Texans getting rid of Osweiler’s contract. But Osweiler temporarily seemed in line to possibly secure the starting job in Cleveland. That remains possible, it appears, if Kizer struggles this weekend. It’s never simple or straightforward with the Browns, is it?
Bears: Mike Glennon leading Mitchell Trubisky
Trubisky has played well so far during the pre-season, and it’s possible he could get some snaps with the starting offence Sunday at Tennessee. This is a delicate situation after the Bears signed Glennon to a significant contract in free agency for him to be their starter. Trading up to select Trubisky second overall in the NFL draft wasn’t supposed to change that immediately, given the belief by many talent evaluators that Trubisky wouldn’t be ready to be an immediate starter. But what if Trubisky is ready for his chance right away? The clumsiness with which the Bears handled their quarterback pursuit during the off-season would be magnified even further, and coach John Fox would have a difficult decision to make.
Jets: Josh McCown leading Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg
Coach Todd Bowles is to announce his decision Monday. It seems likely that he will go with McCown, the team’s veteran option, over the inexperienced Petty and Hackenberg. Playing McCown would make sense if the Jets were readying to be in the playoff chase. That appears to be quite a long shot, given their off-season roster retooling that produced allegations they are tanking the season in hopes of improving their draft position. If and when the season officially becomes a lost cause, the Jets could turn to Petty or Hackenberg. Bowles would owe it to the franchise to find out about the young quarterbacks, even if doing so would not necessarily enhance his own job security.
Jaguars: Chad Henne leading Blake Bortles
The Jaguars and their new regime, including coach Doug Marrone and front office executive Tom Coughlin, stuck with Bortles in the off-season even after he seemed to regress last season. His ongoing struggles have led to the decision to have Henne start Thursday night’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Bortles also is to take snaps Thursday with the starting offense. But Henne’s start makes it clear that he has a chance to secure the job for the regular season and there has been speculation that the team might not retain Bortles if Henne is the starter.
Panthers: Cam Newton returning
Newton is to play Thursday night at Jacksonville as he makes his return from shoulder surgery. The Panthers have proceeded carefully with Newton, and rightfully so. They must cross their fingers and hope that all goes well from here.
Ravens: Joe Flacco returning
Flacco has been sidelined by an ailing back. The Ravens have said that Flacco is not expected to play during the pre-season but is expected to start the regular season opener. They have stuck with Ryan Mallett as their main alternative.
Colts: Andrew Luck returning
The Colts say there is no target date for Luck to practice as he works his way back from shoulder surgery. Luck has not been ruled out of the season opener. But time is running out, and Scott Tolzien remains the fill-in starter.