Broncos want to see Lynch ‘play with live bullets,’ QB to start vs. Chiefs
Dec 26, 2017, 12:37 PM
The Denver Broncos want to get one final look at quarterback Paxton Lynch before heading into the 2018 offseason.
The former first-round pick will start Sunday at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, should he be healthy enough to do so, said head coach Vance Joseph on Monday.
“The plan is to play Paxton. That was kind of the plan last week if he was healthy enough to play. So, this week, that’s the plan, to play Paxton,” Joseph said.
The goal over the past few weeks, Joseph said, was to see Lynch play, but the young quarterback has been hampered by a high ankle sprain suffered in his only start this season in Week 12 against the Oakland Raiders.
“We want to see him play. Obviously, that’s been the goal the last couple weeks. That hadn’t happened,” Joseph said. “We want to see him play with live bullets in a football game.”
The move would mean Denver will see its third different starting quarterback in as many weeks, with Brock Osweiler playing in relief of injured starter Trevor Siemian in Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts and also getting the nod Sunday against the Washington Redskins.
It would also be the sixth different starting quarterback the Broncos have employed in 2017 — Siemian, Osweiler, and Lynch will have had two stints each under center.
Winning on Sunday, Joseph said, is the team’s top priority, but the play-caller said that goal isn’t mutually exclusive from seeing Lynch take the field.
“Our first goal is to win a football game obviously. But again, with it being a quarterback issue going into the offseason, we want to see him play to see where this player is,” Joseph said of Lynch.
“Obviously, winning the game is always our first priority. Not saying if he’s playing we can’t win. He’s going to be our quarterback, so we expect to win.”
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
