Osweiler happy to be in Denver again
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Brock Osweiler was so excited to be back in Denver he swore he would have signed for a buck, played in bare feet or even been the Broncos’ water boy.
Of course, he’s getting $16 million this season, all but $775,000 of it from the Cleveland Browns, so he’s good for a round of drinks, and he had his pick of shiny white cleats in his locker next to starter Trevor Siemian .
The Broncos brought back Peyton Manning’s longtime backup 18 months after he bolted to Houston in free agency because Paxton Lynch sprained his throwing shoulder four days after losing the starting QB job to Siemian for the second straight summer.
He said he has no regrets for leaving Denver in the first place but “I’m ecstatic to be back here” after an odyssey that included a playoff win, a benching, a blow-up, a trade, the birth of his daughter and a release to go with all those fat paychecks.
“It’s kind of like that old deal when you’re a little kid and your mom tells you don’t touch the hot stove,” Osweiler said. “So, what do you have to do as a curious kid? You have to go touch the hot stove and you learn real quick how nice that stove is when it’s not hot.
“Needless to say, I’m very thankful to be back here. My wife and I, we miss Colorado every single day. This is a special place, special organization and a special city.”
DOLPHINS-BUCS: For Miami and Tampa Bay, the season might begin sooner than expected, thanks to Hurricane Irma.
The NFL is considering moving the DolphinsBucs opener in Miami to another site or earlier this week because of the hurricane.
Andrew Luck is entering a new phase of the waiting game.
Now that he’s cleared to practice, he must convince team officials he’s ready to start. It won’t happen this week.
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard announced Monday that Luck would miss Indy’s season opener against the Los Angeles Rams and would remain out indefinitely.
“Every player needs to practice,” Ballard said. “They need to be with their teammates. They need to practice. Andrew’s going to need the same thing.”
GIANTS: New York is keeping everyone guessing about star receiver Odell Beckham’s status for the season opener against Dallas.
Beckham, who has not practiced since spraining his left ankle in a preseason game on Aug. 21, rode a stationary bike during the portion of practice that was open to the media Monday as the Giants started preparing for the season opener in Dallas on Sunday night.
FALCONS: Atlanta released defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman two days after he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list because of domestic violence charges in 2016.
CHARGERS: Los Angeles re-signed backup quarterback Kellen Clemens.
BILLS: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor returned to practice Monday in taking the next step in recovering from a concussion, though he’s not yet been cleared for Buffalo’s season opener against the Jets on Sunday.
CARDINALS: Arizona signed former All-Pro punter Andy Lee to a two-year contract and released punter Matt Wile.