Denver Broncos: No timetable for Paxton Lynch’s return

SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 19: Paxton Lynch #12 of the Denver Broncos reacts during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 19: Paxton Lynch #12 of the Denver Broncos reacts during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Denver Broncos have no timetable for the return of quarterback Paxton Lynch, who has been out since week three of the preseason…

The Denver Broncos tried and failed with Trevor Siemian this season, and have turned to Brock Osweiler as his replacement. Though Osweiler has been more efficient moving the offense than Siemian, the problems at quarterback persist, and fans are starting to wonder when — if ever — we will see Paxton Lynch take the field again for the Broncos.

The Broncos have alluded to Lynch’s issues not only being physical (his shoulder injury has kept him out since week three of the preseason) but also mental. What does that really mean?

As staff writer Cameron Parker pointed out, Lynch has not appeared on the Broncos’ injury report for a couple of weeks, and yet head coach Vance Joseph maintains that Lynch is at least a couple of weeks away from being healthy enough for regular season action.

What?

The Broncos certainly aren’t in any hurry to get Lynch on the field, or he probably would be at this point, but why is there no urgency on the part of this coaching staff to get him ready? The Broncos need to know whether or not Lynch is ‘the guy’ moving forward, or if he is even still a viable candidate to be.

He can’t prove that one way or the other on the bench.

This has been the primary issue from the beginning, but Lynch had been bad enough while the Broncos were still in contention that it was reasonable to keep him on the sidelines if the team was winning without him.

Now that the team is losing without him, there’s no reason to keep him on the bench if he can go out there and prove he can play.

He’s not on the injury report, but he’s not healthy enough to play.

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There’s something fishy there, unless there’s some sort of rule where the Broncos don’t have to list him after so long with the same injury.

Joseph’s tone regarding Lynch seemed to indicate that the second year quarterback wouldn’t play much this year, if at all. With no timetable for his return, it seems Lynch’s future with the Broncos is in serious doubt.

Brock Osweiler will start for Denver against the Cincinnati Bengals, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess. If the Broncos lose to the Bengals, the best option would be to get Lynch out there, even though that’s been the best option for a while now.

Denver has to find out what it has in Lynch, and with Chad Kelly on injured reserve the rest of the way, Lynch is the only option we can realistically get a look at on the field to help make future determinations at the most important position on the team.