Trevor Siemian beats out Paxton Lynch to remain Broncos' starting QB

Once again, Trevor Siemian has won an open competition to be the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback.

First-year head coach Vance Joseph made the announcement to his team and then the public on Monday, two days after Siemian established his separation from 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch in a preseason game at the San Francisco 49ers. Siemian, a seventh-round pick in 2015, also won last year's competition to be the starter, beating out Lynch and veteran Mark Sanchez.

“It’s a permanent decision. As far as Trevor being our guy, he’s our guy,” Joseph said.

Siemian will now get the majority of the first-team reps for the duration of the preseason, starting with Saturday’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

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“I want Trevor to be himself. He’s focused,” Joseph said. “Use your weapons, be a leader, just be Trevor.”

Siemian went 8-6 as the Broncos’ starter last year, with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. When former head coach Gary Kubiak retired after last season, Joseph and his staff re-opened the competition. Siemian missed two games last year because of a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery.

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Saturday’s game against the 49ers was Lynch’s final chance to make up ground on Siemian, who had been the more consistent quarterback throughout three weeks of training camp practices. But Siemian showed Saturday night that he wasn’t just the safe pick, he was the best choice.

“I got a shot coming in, and for me, that’s all I needed,” Siemian said Monday.

In two preseason games, Siemian completed 78% of his passes for 144 yards and hasn't been intercepted. He also threw one touchdown shortly after entering the game late in the second quarter Saturday. Lynch, meanwhile, completed 68% of his passes for just 81 yards with no touchdowns. He led the Broncos to 13 points against the 49ers, but those scoring drives were short (26, 11, and 11 yards) following turnovers.

Joseph cited Siemian's advantage in decision-making as a crucial part of the outcome. Siemian also had a clear edge in several other areas in how coaches and general manager John Elway judged the two quarterbacks as a whole, from their leadership off the field to their knowledge of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy’s playbook and ability to quickly diagnose defenses and coverage schemes.

“It’s a performance-based business, not potential,” Joseph said. “With time, (Lynch) will be a good quarterback. Right now, Trevor is the best guy for our team.”

Lynch was clearly disappointed by the decision but told reporters he would do whatever coaches ask of him, including giving Siemian his “full support.”

“I’m very happy with how I handled myself through this whole process and how I’m progressing as a player. I’m heading in the right direction,” Lynch said. “You know I’m going to keep working to be the best player I can be.”

Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones.

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