What does Kubiak’s departure from the Broncos mean for Siemian?

The Denver Broncos will look for a new head coach in 2017. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter broke the news early Sunday morning about Gary Kubiak likely stepping down as the Broncos head coach.

They finished the season out of the playoffs but with a 9-7 record by beating the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. After the game, Kubiak was asked about his future with the team, but he did not reveal to the media what he decided. his decision to the media.

“I did talk to the team. Right now, I am going to answer this the same way; today is about the team and the players. I’ll address my situation tomorrow,” Kubiak said. “I did have a really good moment with the players and told them how proud I was of them and the way they finished. I’ll address everything else tomorrow.”

Without the playoffs out of reach, Kubiak had said both second-year quarterback Trevor Siemian, who started the majority of the season, and 2016 first-round draft pick Paxton Lynch would both play.

However, as the game progressed, Siemian stayed on the field and Lynch on the sidelines.

In a 24-6 victory, which was never really in question, the rookie did not see the field.

So, as he departs, what did Kubiak mean to Siemian and what could the young quarterback’s future look like without his head coach? Let’s take a look:

Opportunity knocks

Siemian was a seventh-round pick for a reason. During his college career at Northwestern, he struggled to stay on the field due to injuries and inconsistency.

But, Siemian did enough in private workout before the draft for the Broncos to take a chance on him, an opportunity in which he credits Kubiak.

“I love Kubes. I owe him a lot obviously. I had no business being drafted, no business really being around, so I owe him a lot for giving me a chance, getting me in the door and giving me a chance to play,” Siemian said. “It’s tough, but I’ve got to push on.”

How does Siemian push on without his biggest supporter?

The Broncos will likely try to find a new coach that is willing and able to get the most out of Lynch — and that may mean Siemian gets bumped to the back burner if/when the first-round pick is ready.

Is Lynch the future?

The Broncos moved up in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft to select Lynch out of Memphis.

With size, arm strength and athleticism, there was a lot to like about Lynch’s game coming out of college. He came from a simple offense at Memphis, and making the transition to the pros had to be like jumping from basic math to calculus in one year.

Lynch saw the field in three games this year (at Tampa Bay, against Atlanta, and at Jacksonville), starting two and finishing with a 1-1 record.

He flashed mostly in the Bucs game, but Lynch did have some moments in the second half in the loss to the Falcons. However, his last outing (in Week 13 at Jacksonville), Lynch looked like he was tense and perhaps even a bit nervous.

He failed to win the starting job this year, and developing Lynch is going to be a big task for the next coaching staff put in place by general manager John Elway.

Despite likely never coaching him again, Kubiak said he likes the potential of Lynch.

“Paxton has a bright future. It’s going to be a hell of a battle between those two kids next year.” Kubiak said. “They’re both good young players. It’s about wanting to be great. I think they both want to be great. They’re going to have to show this football team that.”

Lynch did not speak to the media after the win over the Raiders. He seemed visibly upset coming off the field, and was not only the second player to run off but also among the first players to leave the locker room.

This offseason is going to be full of changes for the Broncos. If Lynch can develop his skill set and mesh with the new coaching staff, then he could become the franchise quarterback this team believed he could be when they spent a premium pick on him last spring.

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