John Elway wouldn't match Brock Osweiler's asking price. The Denver Broncos general manager could balk at another free agent quarterback's cost.
NFL Media columnist Michael Silver reported last week that the Broncosreached out to Ryan Fitzpatrick's agents.
On Sunday, ESPN reported Denver is "currently unwilling" to pay the salary Fitzpatrick is pursuing. The sides could revisit talks down the road.
It appears teams aren't eager to meet the 33-year-old quarterback's salary demands.
The New York Jets and Fitzpatrick are still far apart in contract talks. Gang Green's brass offered a little more than the three-year, $21 million contract Chase Daniel received from the Philadelphia Eagles. It seems Fitzpatrick believes he deserves something closer to the $18 million range, which has been the going rate for signal-callers on the open market. Neither the Jets nor the Broncos seem willing to go there at the moment.
The Broncos traded for Mark Sanchez on Friday, sending a conditional seventh-round pick to Philadelphia. Elway called the move the "first step in our process."
Denver needs another quarterback to pair with Sanchez and second-year signal-caller Trevor Siemian.
The Broncos are one team in discussions with the San Francisco 49ers to try and work out a trade for Colin Kaepernick, which has yet to bear fruit.
Fitzpatrick remains a veteran option to bridge the gap between Peyton Manning and a future long-term signal-caller in Denver, just not currently at whatever rate he's seeking.