It’s no secret the starting quarterback job is up for grabs this summer during Denver Broncos training camp. Paxton Lynch is hoping to seize upon the opportunity.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday before his second rookie training camp practice, the first-round rookie talked up his chance to play early.
“I definitely think I have the opportunity to better myself and put myself up in that position to play right away or sooner than I had thought,” Lynch said, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “I knew those guys were going to be ahead of me just because of experience — Trevor his experience in the offense and Mark his experience in the league and me being a rookie, and this is the first time I’ve seen a playbook like that.”
He also made it clear he won’t accept a backup role without a fierce fight.
“From a competition standpoint, obviously, as a competitor, you’re not gonna say, ‘Yeah, I’ll take the backseat in this,'” Lynch said. “It’s my job as a rookie to push those guys that are ahead of me however I can.”
The Broncos have made it known since the early goings that Lynch could potentially play sooner than people realize (more on that here).
John Elway moved up in the first round to grab him. It’s also been reported the team had Lynch rated higher than Jared Goff, who went No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Rams.
During his tenure at Memphis, Lynch improved by leaps and bounds from his freshman, sophomore and junior campaigns. He was particularly impressive in his final season, completing 66.8 percent of his passes for 3,778 yards with 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
His competition this summer consists of an unknown in Trevor Siemian (last year’s seventh-round pick) and Mark Sanchez, who is decidedly mediocre. No doubt, the Broncos would love for Lynch to step up and take the job, but he still has plenty of work cut out for him to accomplish that goal.
To this point, it’s been reported that Sanchez has a slight edge over Siemian to start as camp opens. But there are also reports that indicate Siemian is a serious threat to take the job.
This will be one of the most exciting training camp battles to keep track of throughout the summer. Don’t be surprised if head coach Gary Kubiak holds back on a decision until the last minute.