Clough: Lynch will not be Broncos backup, and maybe not Kelly for long

Aug 31, 2018, 8:16 AM

Quarterback Paxton Lynch #12 on day 5 of Denver Broncos training camp at the UCHealth Training Center August 1, 2018 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

(Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Heading into the Denver Broncos preseason finale Thursday on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, focus turned to whether Paxton Lynch could not earn back the backup quarterback role but rather earn a spot on the final 53-man roster.

Lynch, for his part, threw for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-15 passing for a passer rating of 141.8 on the night, which earned the praises of Broncos head coach Vance Joseph.

“I thought Paxton played good football. He hit his first nine passes. He led us on a field goal drive and two touchdown drives,” Joseph said. “So, Paxton played well.”

Lynch’s counterpart, Chad Kelly, went 12-for-19 for 126 yards and one pick in the first half, though Joseph too was pleased with the second-teamer’s performance.

“I thought Chad played efficient football, obviously outside of that interception that led to a touchdown for those guys. But he played efficient football,” Joseph said. “He bounced back and played confident. That’s important for a young quarterback.

“You don’t those guys to make a mistake and come back and be tentative. And he wasn’t. He was aggressive. He was Chad after the mistake.”

However, the strong performance from Lynch and the satisfactory performance from Kelly may not make a difference in the long run, said 104.3 The Fan host Sandy Clough after the game Thursday.

“Paxton Lynch will not be the Denver Broncos backup quarterback,” Clough said despite the quarterback’s strong performance. “It may not be Chad Kelly either, at least on a permanent basis.”

After the game, Joseph said that Kelly is the No. 2 quarterback “right now,” which he’s said for the past few weeks, but also added that “things could change.”

As for the entire roster cut down, which must happen by 2 p.m. MDT on Saturday, Joseph said it’s a difficult process.

“We’ve got some tough decisions to make over the next couple of days,” Joseph said. “It should be that way, but it’s still tough.”

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.