BRONCOS

Are Broncos ‘playing with fire’ regarding backup quarterback role?

Jun 19, 2018, 5:18 PM | Updated: 8:41 pm

Among the more intriguing storylines heading into training camp for Mike Pritchard will be the mental makeup of one time Denver Broncos first-round pick and current-backup quarterback Paxton Lynch.

The “Pritchard and Cecil” host said on Tuesday he wants to see that mental fortitude emerge, not be hidden, for Lynch.

“His time of hiding is gone, anyway,” Pritchard said. “He’s going into Year Three. You can’t protect him anymore. He’s got to start protecting himself, and that means getting and winning that backup quarterback job.”

But, Pritchard asked, can Lynch change the minds of Broncos Country?

For “Schlereth and Evans” host Mark Schlereth, his confidence in Lynch has been shaken ever since he broke down on the sidelines during his first start of 2017 in Week 11 at Oakland.

“I suppose part of it is my lack of belief that Paxton Lynch is going to develop,” Schlereth said. “And now, I could be completely wrong and he could be working his butt off and great things could be going on for him.

“But, I don’t know anybody else is indelibly scarred like I am watching him cry on the sidelines. I’ll have a really tough time ever not having that image in my head.”

Schlereth added: “When the going gets tough, do you get going or do you cry on the sideline?”

Brandon Stokley, host of “Stokley and Zach,” said should Lynch be called upon if starting quarterback Case Keenum get hurt, he’d not have confidence the third-year pro could win Denver a game — “not in the least bit.”

“Are they playing with fire here? Absolutely,” Stokley said of the Broncos not having a quality option at backup quarterback. “That could be the downfall of this season.

“If Case Keenum goes out and he misses four weeks, and you’re playing good football, you want to feel good about your backup quarterback that he’s not going to cost you.”

Schlereth suggested Tuesday bringing in a veteran quarterback, like Matt Moore or Derek Anderson, to supplement that need for Denver.

However, if that’s the case, the Broncos should finally end the Paxton Lynch “experiment,” Stokley said.

“I think, then, you’ve passed judgment on Paxton Lynch, and it’s time to move on,” Stokley said. “So, you’ve kind of got to kind of pick your lane. Which way are you going? Are going with Paxton Lynch? Do you still believe in him like you said, that he possibly could be still a competent quarterback or do you not?”

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

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