Saddle up, Broncos supporters. The position battle at quarterback between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch is going to extend all the way through training camp.
"It's going to be a long battle," Broncos rookie coach Vance Joseph told reporters Tuesday. "Both guys are in it. They're both working very hard, and both guys are here every day, and that's important."
Denver is only one workout into its 2017 season, so it's too early to speculate which player has the upper hand; Joseph spelled it out, adding, "it's hard to tell" after Tuesday which quarterback will win a competition four months from the finish line.
But the coach's comments this week are the latest indication that the Broncos are truly treating this as an equal competition. Joseph said earlier this month that the "open" position battle is 50-50 and will "go down to the wire."
NFL Network's James Palmer reported in April that, despite coming off of shoulder surgery, Siemian still had the upper hand, mainly due to this steady performance last season, during which he played "at a higher level than many assume."
If you're the Broncos' brass, though, the hope has to be that Lynch, the quarterback on which you gambled with a first-round pick in 2016, wins this battle assuredly before Denver's Monday night opener against the Chargers. After all, far more draft and financial capital was invested in Lynch's athleticism and potential than in Siemian, whom Denver drafted in the seventh round in 2015.
Ultimately, the decision will be left to Joseph, who is tasked with making this Broncos offense his own. Just don't hold your breath on any definitive choice at QB, unless you prefer to live without oxygen through Labor Day.
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