Evans: Arrrrgh! Paxton Lynch time for the Broncos?

Kudos to Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch and head coach Gary Kubiak for the kid’s NFL debut. First, to Lynch, for not being overwhelmed when he was thrust into action. Secondly, to Kubiak, for not handcuffing Lynch and actually letting him play.

Lynch couldn’t have handled the situation any better. He was poised. He made a number of big time throws. He looked very comfortable in shotgun but also, surprisingly, under center.

He showed off the big arm with throws downfield and showcased the possibilities of what could be running Kubiak’s signature bootleg action.

Best of all, he avoided making any costly mistakes.

So, is this it? Is it time to get with the future and make Lynch the permanent starter moving forward? Is it time for the Paxton Lynch era to begin?

The answer is: That’s up to Trevor Siemian.

Look, Siemian hasn’t done anything wrong. He was 3-0 as a starter — well on his way to 4-0. He had just won the “AFC Offensive Player of the Week” award. He had beaten top quality teams like Carolina and Cincinnati.

He was passing the eye test.

However, he’s a seventh-round draft pick with only three-plus games on his NFL resume. This isn’t an established veteran who can easily stake his claim to getting his job back. Even if he was, that doesn’t guarantee anything (see: Drew Bledsoe/Tom Brady and quite possibly Tony Romo/Dak Prescott).

He does have certain advantages going for him, including a grasp of the entire playbook, the respect of his teammates and head coach, and some sparkling fourth quarter numbers and comebacks.

If this is a one-week injury, then it’s not that big of a deal. Siemian should and will get his job back.

But … let this linger two games, and now you’re leaving the door open for Lynch to kick it down. Give Lynch two and a half games to show he’s picking things up fast, and Siemian will find himself Wally Pipped.

Because, as much as Kubiak and general manager John Elway like Siemian, the cold-hearted business part is he’s a seventh-round pick, while Lynch is a first rounder who the Broncos moved up five spots to pick.

If there is any sense that Lynch is close to, or even with, Siemian, then Siemian loses out.

So, my advice to Siemian is this: Get healthy fast or lie to the Broncos and find a Mark Schlereth-level of pain tolerance.

Either way, get back out there fast. Your NFL future could be riding on it