For a stretch of time late last season, it felt as though the final weeks of the season would be Paxton Lynch's last stand in Denver.
After Denver opted to sign Case Keenum instead of drafting another quarterback, Lynch received new life with the Broncos. But it's the life of a backup -- again. Lynch said Thursday he's OK with that for now.
"There is always room for improvement (but) I obviously believe I can go out and play right now," Lynch said, per the Denver Post. "But that's not my job right now. Case is the guy and I'm doing everything I can to make the team better and make myself better. I'm obviously confident in my abilities and what I can do. I'm hanging my hat on that and I'll be ready."
A 1-3 mark in four starts doesn't inspire confidence, and neither did last season's merry-go-round at the position, run by Lynch, Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler. The position appears stabilized for now, at least on paper. But if a sequence of events transpires requiring Lynch to play, confidence in Denver's chances isn't exactly guaranteed.
The Broncos won't waste time wringing their hands about the what-if, though. They're pinning their fortunes on the arm and brain of Keenum with the hopes that Lynch continues to learn and can step in should disaster strike. In a best-case scenario, Lynch develops behind Keenum and eventually takes over as the franchise quarterback Denver imagined it was getting when it selected him in the first round of the 2016 draft.
Lynch certainly seems open to that prospect.
"I was really excited, actually, when we got Case for the fact he's a veteran guy who's been through it a little bit and had his ups and downs," Lynch said. "The way he carries himself and handles himself -- he's a pro and that only benefits me and the other guys in the locker room and the other guys in the quarterback room."
We'll have to wait and see if those benefits pay off for Lynch and the Broncos in the long run. For now, it's Keenum's team and a threat doesn't exist behind him.