Did Denver Broncos have worst QB competition of the century?

In a recent article for The Ringer, Rodger Sherman ranked the 10 worst QB competitions of the century, and the Broncos are high on that list.  The Denver Broncos don’t have to deal with these competitions anymore, but they did in the recent past.  Sherman ranked the 10 worst QB competitions since the turn of the century, and the Broncos ended up making a very high placement on that list.

The author decided to lump two years into the ranking since it was that bad.  Coming it as #2 on the list, the Broncos’ 2016-2017 quarterback competition of Trevor Siemian-Paxton Lynch-Mark Sanchez was one of the absolute worst the league has seen in years.

Trevor Siemian was a seventh-round draft pick back in 2015.  He took one snap in his rookie season and did win a Super Bowl that year.  Once Peyton Manning retired, the team traded up to select Paxton Lynch in the 2016 NFL Draft.  Many saw his height and arm strength and were instantly hooked.

They also traded for Mark Sanchez, someone who had failed to establish himself as a franchise quarterback.  After a dreadful and short stop in Denver, Sanchez was released.  Because Paxton Lynch never developed into a sliver of an NFL starter, Siemian won the starting job in 2016 and 2017.

To be fair to Siemian, his 2016 season playing with Gary Kubiak was rather decent.  He was below average, but he threw 18 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, and the Broncos had a 9-7 record.  It seemed like the team could have built on that season, and a gradual improvement from Siemian could have led to another win or two.

Kubiak stepped down after the 2016 season, which spelled the end of Siemian’s chances to become a starter.  Paxton Lynch eventually fizzled out of the league, and the only player from the three QBs who wasn’t a first-round pick is still in the league.  Trevor Siemian is still hanging around as a backup.

He’s made a few stops since Denver, and he’s, in all honesty, a solid backup quarterback.  I don’t think he was ever a “bad” quarterback, given he threw more interceptions than touchdowns during his senior season in college, and given that he was a seventh-round pick.

However, it was clear that none of the three players in the 2016-2017 seasons were able to give Denver what they desperately needed after Peyton Manning.