Broncos’ Kubiak on Siemian: ‘Trevor is our starting quarterback’

Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak did not mince words when he was asked about the status of quarterback Trevor Siemian, who left Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just before halftime with a sprained non-throwing shoulder.

“Trevor is our starting quarterback, and hopefully he is going to be OK,” Kubiak said.

The remark quickly shut down thoughts that Siemian’s injury could have opened the door for rookie Paxton Lynch, who impressed in relief against the Buccaneers, to retain the starting role.

And Kubiak said he was proud of Lynch and “how he came in and played,” but the head coach also said the team “felt fortunate” that Siemian’s injury wasn’t more serious. The team was still evaluating Siemian’s shoulder as of early Monday afternoon, he said, but the second-year gunslinger was day-to-day.

“We’re going to approach every week to get our best players on the field,” Kubiak said. “Trevor is our starter, so we’re going to give him every opportunity to get there on Sunday.”

Siemian injured the shoulder during a sack late in the first half by Buccaneers defensive tackle Clinton McDonald.

After the game, Siemian said McDonald kind of tossed him on the plan, and he landed on his left shoulder funny. At first, he didn’t realize the extent to the injury, running another rushing play before being held out by head athletic trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos.

“I went over to (Antonopulos), and he said probably take five at least,” Siemian said, “so that’s how it went.”

Kubiak said Monday that Siemian’s sore, and though throwing the ball shouldn’t be an issue, it’s a pain management issue regarding his mechanics and core.

“He’s just really sore, just going through that motion and going through the throwing motion,” Kubiak said. “Throwing the ball is not going to be a problem, it’s how does it feel when he moves his whole trunk. We’ll have to see.”

It’s still up in the air on who will dress at quarterback Sunday at home against the Falcons, as Kubiak declined to reveal if third-stringer Austin Davis would be available after being inactive against Tampa Bay.

However, Kubiak said that the team would likely need both Siemian and Lynch moving forward, due to the “nature of the business nowadays,” though that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“Here we are, four weeks in to the season, and we’ve used them both to get to where we’re at,” Kubiak said. “It’s exciting to watch both of them grow and both of them prepare each week. I think they both have bright futures. That’s great for our organization.”
Before the injury Sunday, Siemian had completed 5 of his 7 pass attempts for 68 yards and a touchdown. In his work, Lynch went 14-of-24 for 170 yards and a touchdown.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.