DENVER, CO – AUGUST 11, 2018: Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) looks for a handoff during the first quarter on Saturday August, 11 at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. The Denver Broncos hosted the Minnesota Vikings. (Photo by Eric Lutzens/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Life is going from bad to worse for Paxton Lynch. First he got demoted to third on the Broncos depth chart and now he’s getting booed by his own fans.
Paxton Lynch’s football career is speeding like a bullet in the wrong direction. Two years ago he was drafted by the Broncos to be the team’s quarterback of the future. Now he’s being serenaded by boos by his own fans at Mile High Stadium.
The former first round pick insists he still wants to be the Broncos’ starting quarterback, but it’s difficult to envision that happening at this point. Lynch found out this week that he was being demoted to third on the team’s depth chart behind former seventh round pick Chad Kelly. Predictably, he wasn’t happy about that decision.
Nonetheless, he’s continued to work hard in practice. Lynch’s hope was that he could put in a solid performance against the Bears on Saturday night. Instead, his play against Chicago epitomized his struggles as a professional. He finished the night after going 5 for 11 for just 39 yards with the reserves. Lynch just doesn’t appear to have the accuracy to thrive in the NFL.
His inability to propel the Broncos to a meaningless preseason win didn’t sit well with Broncos fans. They booed Lynch mercilessly during the fourth quarter. The quarterback didn’t outwardly react to the negative noise, but it certainly caught the attention of head coach Vance Joseph. After the game he admitted that he “felt bad” for Lynch, but he also made the point that no one was going to “hold his hand” in professional football.
At this point, it seems like it would be in everyone’s best interest for Lynch to find a new team this offseason. It’s highly unlikely the Broncos will enter the 2018 season with three active quarterbacks on the roster. Case Keenum and Kelly are firmly ahead of Lynch on the depth chart at the moment. John Elway and company might elect to keep a third signal caller on the roster, but there’s no guarantee that Lynch will be that guy.
The only silver lining for Lynch is that another team may be willing to gamble on his physical gifts. There were several teams with first round grades on him coming out of Memphis. His stock has dipped significantly since then, but there are offensive minds around the league who will be interested in kicking the tires on his mobility and big arm.
The stark truth is that Broncos fans will probably have to find someone else to boo when the regular season begins. Lynch’s time in Denver is likely coming to a close.