Compared to other recent Broncos QBs, Joe Flacco wasn’t all that bad
Nov 1, 2019, 3:46 PM | Updated: 3:49 pm
On Friday, the Broncos announced that Joe Flacco would be placed on the injured reserve list. The move ends the quarterback’s season after just eight games. There’s a chance it could also end his tenure in Denver if the team decides to move in a different direction in 2020.
If that were to happen, Flacco would join a long list of quarterbacks who have donned the orange and blue in the last 10 years. Aside from one, it’s a pretty pedestrian list of signal callers who’ve been Broncos during the past decade.
Where does Flacco rank amongst that group? Here’s a breakdown:
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1. Peyton Manning – Arguably the greatest player in Broncos history, Manning took the team to two Super Bowls, won one championship and set every passing record imaginable while in Denver.
2. Tim Tebow – It wasn’t always pretty, but it was certainly entertaining. The 2011 season, which included a playoff triumph over the Steelers, was the stuff of legend.
3. Brock Osweiler – The way things ended hurts Osweiler’s image in Denver, but the way he played during the Super Bowl season should endear him to Broncos Country forever.
4. Trevor Siemian – Given how bad things have gotten the past couple of seasons, Siemian’s 13-11 record in the post-Manning era looks amazing now.
5. Joe Flacco – His 2-6 record wasn’t good, but the last-minute drive to take the lead against the Bears did provide a glimpse of what could’ve been for Joe Cool.
6. Kyle Orton – He’ll forever be known as the guy who supposedly gave the Broncos the “best chance to win,” but just couldn’t get it done when it mattered most.
7. Case Keenum – Keenum’s lone season in Denver was a colossal failure, as he proved why he’s bounced around the league and repeatedly gets benched wherever he lands.
8. Paxton Lynch – The Broncos first-round pick in 2016 never got much of a chance, a lot of which is his fault. Disappointing doesn’t begin to describe his time in Denver.
9. Chris Simms – His lone start came in a 32-3 home loss to the Chargers, a game that featured more empty seats in the second half than fans still in the building at that point.
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In addition to those who have started games for the Broncos, a list that will grow by one on Sunday when Brandon Allen makes his NFL debut, these quarterbacks have also had a cup of coffee with the team since Josh McDaniels was still running the show:
10. Brady Quinn – In two seasons, he never played a snap in a Denver uniform. But he did compete with Kyle Orton in the preseason, providing some semi-drama during training camp.
11. Mark Sanchez – The veteran quarterback should’ve been the starter in 2016, but the Broncos decided to defend their Super Bowl title with a quarterback who had never played because he was $5 million cheaper.
12. Kyle Sloter – Arguably better than Siemian or Lynch during the 2017 QB battle, he wound up in Minnesota and Arizona after leaving Denver.
13. Brandon Allen – His chance to move up the list arrives on Sunday, as the much-travelled quarterback makes his NFL debut.
14. Drew Lock – At some point, the rookie quarterback will get his chance to show what he can do during a regular season game, assuming the Broncos ever activate him off of injured reserve.
15. Christian Ponder – When Manning was injured during the 2015 season, Ponder was brought in as a veteran insurance policy behind Osweiler. He never played in a game.
16. Brett Rypien – The rookie will be in uniform for the first time on Sunday when he backs up Allen, as part of Denver’s inexperienced QB duo against the Browns.
17. Chad Kelly – A few dazzling performances in the preseason got people excited about his potential, but a misstep at a Halloween party ultimately ended his time in Denver before he got to play in a game.
18. Tom Brandstater – The sixth-round pick out of Fresno State spent one season in Denver before moving on when the team drafted Tim Tebow and traded for Brady Quinn.
19. Austin Davis – When the Broncos quarterback room boasted two players with zero NFL passes in Siemian and Lynch, Davis was brought in to provide some veteran insurance.
20. Kevin Hogan – He served as the backup to Keenum in 2018 before being cut prior to the 2019 season, having never played a down as a Bronco.
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Yikes. That’s not exactly a who’s who of NFL quarterbacks.
Perhaps Flacco wasn’t as bad as Broncos Country thinks. As these 20 quarterbacks show, it could always be worse.
