With Peyton Manning battling plantar fasciitis it's time for the Denver Broncos to take a long look at Brock Osweiler.
Coach Gary Kubiak confirmed Monday that Osweiler will start Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Kubiak said Manning won't dress as he rehabs from the injury. The coach added he would meet with Manning next week to re-evaluate the situation -- which includes a showdown with Tom Brady in Week 12.
The 6-foot-8 Osweiler has a cannon arm and mobility to run the bootleg, a Kubiak staple in every year he hasn't coached Peyton Manning.
In reality, Osweiler is a better fit schematically than Manning for the type of offense we'll see down the road in Denver.
Broncos great Terrell Davis said Monday morning on NFL Network's NFL HQ that because of Osweiler, Manning's injury wouldn't bring doom and gloom to Denver, at least in the short term.
"You talk about a quarterback that is mobile, and that is what Gary Kubiak really wants in an offense," Davis said. "I think Brock Osweiler can run the offense that Kubiak wants to run. I think for a short period of time he can be a pretty good quarterback, obviously with the weapons he is surrounded with."
Osweiler enters the final year of his rookie contract, so tossing him into the fire will provide a better idea about his future when Manning eventually exits for good. The 24-year-old passer has gotten internal praise within the Broncos' organization, but didn't flash much promise to the outside world until this preseason.
Sunday he entered a lost cause and completed just 14 of 24 passes for 146 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Osweiler moved the ball during his lengthy preseason appearances, as he showed good touch on his huge deep ball and solid poise in the pocket. Being able to run the preferred offense of the play-caller should also benefit the Broncos -- TV analysts will likely spend all week comparing him to Joe Flacco in Kubiak's offense.
Manning will likely resume as the starter when he's healthy enough -- Kubiak has insisted as much. In the meantime the AFC West leaders hope a young signal-caller with zero career starts can keep them afloat.