In last year’s training camp, Paxton Lynch competed to be the starting quarterback. This year, he appears to be losing the competition to be the backup.
The No. 26-overall pick in the 2016 draft was heartily booed Saturday night in Denver, looking lost in the preseason-opening 42-28 loss to the Vikings. Lynch finished 6-of-11 for 24 yards and an interception, and after one particularly terrible series, the fans at Mile High let him have it.
Lynch, who was beaten out twice by Trevor Siemian in Denver the last two seasons, is now vying to back up Case Keenum. Even that job seems in question after Chad Kelly relieved Lynch in the third quarter and badly outplayed him, throwing a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Matt LaCosse on his first possession.
Amid chants of “Kelly! Kelly!” he also drove Denver 85 yards in 11 plays, capping the drive with a 19-yard strike to running back Phillip Lindsay to put the Broncos on top 28-27 with 10 minutes remaining.
“Obviously I’m upset,” Lynch told reporters after the game.
And his coach didn’t inspire any more confidence in the third-year quarterback out of Memphis.
Asked if Kelly will start to get second-team snaps in practice, Vance Joseph said: “We’ll see. We’ll watch the tape and see where he are. Obviously Case is the starter, so that’s my main concern. But Chad, he’s played well. He played well tonight outside of the one interception.”
