Schlereth: No ‘rush’ to settle Broncos QB role if Siemian keeps improving

Trevor Siemian was meant to be a bridge from future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning to rookie first-round draft pick Paxton Lynch.

Check that, Mark Sanchez was supposed to fill that role. Siemian was supposed to be a backup, until he out played the veteran quarterback in the preseason to earn the starting job.

And then, Siemian played just well enough to beat the Carolina Panthers — the NFC Champions a year ago. And then the Indianapolis Colts, whom Denver has had troubles beating recently.

Then Siemian, who hadn’t thrown a regular season pass before his first start, travelled to Cincinnati and put up four touchdowns and 300-plus yards with no interceptions on way to beating yet another 2015 playoff team.

Oh, and those passing stats, it’s the only time a quarterback making his first road start has put up such a line in NFL history.

So, what happens if Siemian, who seems to be doing nothing but improving, becomes the guy for the Broncos? And what would happen to Lynch?

“In a quarterback-starved league, if you find Siemian’s legit, you can’t sit on two young quarterbacks like that. One of them has to go. It’s too valuable a commodity that you can get too much for,” said Mike Evans, co-host of “Schlereth and Evans,” on Tuesday.

Evans called Lynch superfluous should Siemian prove a legitimate franchise quarterback for Denver.

However, Evans’ co-host Mark Schlereth, said there’s no hurry to figure out the situation, as both are young and under team-favorable contracts for a good amount of time.

“You’ve got two guys you’re not paying any money to, meaning we can re-do guys like Emmanuel Sanders, we can get a Von Miller done,” Schlereth said. “There’s going to come a time when somebody else is going to establish himself.”

Lynch, the 26th overall pick in May’s draft, will earn $9.4 million per year for the next four years, with a fifth-year team option for being a first-round pick.

Siemian, taken in the seventh round (250th overall) by the Broncos in 2015, is set to make $2.3 million over the next four years as well.

So, why rush, Schlereth asked, if you owe two potential franchise quarterbacks just shy of $12 million over the next four years?

“They still are young guys that don’t have any experience. You don’t have to rush right out. Let it play out,” Schlereth said. “You’ve got two guys you’re not paying any money to, meaning we can re-do guys like Emmanuel Sanders, we can get a Von Miller done. There’s going to come a time when somebody else is going to establish himself.”

Follow 104.3 The Fan digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.