A Quarterback Surprise

When John Elway retired in 1999 after his second consecutive Super Bowl victory, the Denver Broncos began a painful series of years trying to replace the eventual Hall of Fame quarterback.

The list of those who tried to fill Elway’s overshoes was long and, in general, not particularly distinguished – Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, Kyle Orton, Jay Cutler, Tim Tebow and others could never accomplish what Elway did.

Now Elway runs the Broncos. And, coming off their Super Bowl victory, they lost Peyton Manning to retirement and Brock Osweiler, somewhat surprisingly, in free agency.

So say hello to Trevor Siemian. He lacks pedigree (a seventh-round pick a year ago and virtually no game experience) but he is the new answer for the Broncos.

Mark Sanchez, acquired in a trade, played poorly in his preseason stints. Rookie Paxton Lynch, a No. 1 pick this spring, will likely the long-term solution. But for now? Trevor Simian.

His next pass in a regular-season game will be his first. His next start will be his first. This is going to be interesting. Siemian completed 27 of 43 preseason passes in three preseason contests – two starts – completing 62.8 percent with one touchdown and two interceptions.

It’s a peculiar spot for a defending champion to be in and a fascinating one. The Broncos open the regular season a week from Thursday against the Carolina Panthers, the team they beat 24-10 in the Super Bowl. The Panthers have Cam Newton. The Broncos have a question mark.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman