Osweiler returning to Broncos as backup quarterback
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Brock Osweiler is returning to Denver 18 months after jilting the Broncos in free agency.
The Broncos agreed to terms with Peyton Manning’s former apprentice Saturday on a one-year deal after the quarterback was cut by the Cleveland Browns. Provided he passes his physical Monday, Osweiler will serve as Trevor Siemian’s understudy in his second stint in Denver.
The Broncos needed another QB because Paxton Lynch, their 2016 first-round draft pick, will miss a month or more with a sprained throwing shoulder.
General manager John Elway said Osweiler will be the backup “until Lynch gets healthy,” and the Broncos will reevaluate their quarterback situation at that time.
Among the cuts as Denver trimmed its roster Saturday was three-time Pro Bowl strong safety T.J. Ward, a move made possible by Denver’s depth in the secondary, which was known as the “No Fly Zone” ever since Ward’s arrival in 2014.
Osweiler went 5-2 in relief of an injured Manning during the Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning season two years ago before bolting to Houston in free agency for a four-year, $72 million deal, about $8 million more than the Broncos offered.
After just one season, the Texans traded Osweiler in March to the Browns, who will pay Osweiler his $16 million guaranteed salary this season minus the offset from the Broncos. The minimum for a sixth-year pro is $775,000.
No matter how long Osweiler’s return to Denver lasts, his weekly salary of $941,000 dwarfs the $36,136 Siemian will make every week.