The Denver Broncos have selected Trevor Siemian as their starting quarterback, beating Paxton Lynch for the job due to his steady play in the preseason. Broncos coach Vance Joseph announced his selection Monday during a news conference, where he said Siemian was the "clear-cut winner" in his duel with Lynch. "Trevor was more consistent on what we asked those guys to do," said Joseph, who is in his first year as Broncos head coach.
Joseph made his decision after just two preseason games, with Siemian showing more consistency than Lynch, a former first-round pick by the Broncos in 2016.
Joseph said he was pleased with the performance of his two quarterbacks but Siemian showed wise decision-making and consistent ball placement. The head coach said he already informed the two quarterbacks of his decision with Lynch committing to support Siemian moving forward. Joseph believes that Lynch has a bright future ahead of him and he will get a chance to start in the future.
Siemian shines in preseason
In the preseason, Siemian went 14-for-18 for 144 yards and a touchdown with no interception for a passer rating of 118.5. Lynch, for his part, completed 15 of 22 passes for 81 yards with no touchdown passes or interceptions for a 74.2 passer rating. Joseph’s decision was a big blow for Lynch, who was personally picked by general manager John Elway to be their quarterback of the future.
Last season, Siemian, a seventh-round pick by the Broncos in 2015, started 14 games for the Broncos, throwing for 3,401 yards and 18 touchdowns to finish with an 8-6 record. Lynch, for his part, played three games, with two starts, throwing for 497 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Jamaal Charles to get chance vs. Packers
Meanwhile, Joseph said veteran running back Jamaal Charles will get a shot at making the roster against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. Joseph assured Charles that he will play a lot against the Packers as he tries to convince the coaching staff that he deserves a roster spot. The 30-year-old Charles signed a one-year deal worth $900,000 with the Broncos after he was released by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played a starring role for nine seasons.
The Broncos acquired Charles to boost their backfield that landed 27th in the NFL in rushing yards last season with 92.8 yards per game. The Broncos have C.J. Anderson as starting rusher while Charles will battle it out with Devontae Booker, Juwan Thompson, De'Angelo Henderson, and Stevan Ridley for a spot on the Broncos' roster.
