SIEMIAN RECLAIMS QB JOB
Broncos starter again beats out Lynch; Joseph calls it ‘a permanent decision’
Trevor Siemian has again won an open competition to be the Denver Broncos starting quarterback.
First-year coach Vance Joseph made the announcement to his team and the public Monday, two days after Siemian established his separation from 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch in a preseason game at the San Francisco 49ers. Siemian, a seventh-round pick in
2015, also won last year’s competition to be the starter, beating out Lynch and veteran Mark Sanchez.
“It’s a permanent decision. As far as Trevor being our guy, he’s our guy,” Joseph said.
Siemian will get the majority of the first-team reps for the duration of the preseason, starting with Saturday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
“I want Trevor to be himself. He’s focused,” Joseph said. “Use your weapons, be a leader, just be Trevor.”
Siemian went 8-6 as the Broncos starter last year, with 18 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. When former coach Gary Kubiak retired after last season, Joseph and his staff reopened the competition. Siemian missed two games last year because of a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery.
Saturday’s game against the
49ers was Lynch’s final chance to make up ground on Siemian, who had been the more consistent quarterback throughout three weeks of training camp practices. But Siemian showed Saturday that he wasn’t just the safe pick, he was the best choice.
“I got a shot coming in, and for me, that’s all I needed,” Siemian said Monday.
In two preseason games, Siemian has completed 78% of his passes for 144 yards with no interceptions. He also threw a touchdown pass shortly after entering the game late in the second quarter Saturday. Lynch completed
68% of his passes for just 81 yards with no touchdowns. He led the Broncos to 13 points against the
49ers, but those scoring drives were short (26, 11, and 11 yards) and came after turnovers.
Joseph cited Siemian’s advantage in decision-making as a crucial part of the outcome. Siemian also had a clear edge in several other areas in the way coaches and general manager John Elway judged the two quarterbacks as a whole, from their leadership off the field to their knowledge of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy’s playbook and ability to quickly diagnose defenses and coverage schemes.
“It’s a performance-based business, not potential,” Joseph said. “With time, (Lynch) will be a good quarterback. Right now, Trevor is the best guy for our team.”
Lynch was clearly disappointed by the decision but told reporters he would do whatever coaches ask of him, including giving Siemian his “full support.”
“I’m very happy with how I handled myself through this process and how I’m progressing as a player. I’m heading in the right direction,” Lynch said. “You know I’m going to keep working to be the best player I can be.”