Brock Osweiler's spot as the eventual replacement for future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for the Denver Broncos may not be as assured as it once was. Or, at the very least, his standing with the team seems to be up in the air at present. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report is reporting that heading into his third NFL season, Osweiler's status as the "heir apparent" to Manning remains in question, though not in the eyes of Broncos GM John Elway and new head coach Gary Kubiak.
Osweiler, the Broncos second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and has yet to unseat the now nearly 40-year-old Manning. Per Cole, Elway is "taking a long look" during this preseason in an attempt to determine whether or not Osweiler has the ability to take on a fulltime starter's role in the near future. Manning, despite considering retiring after the Broncos were unceremoniously ousted in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, returned for an 18th NFL season. It may likely be his last.
Fortunately for Osweiler, his performance against the Seattle Seahawks in Denver's first preseason action prompted Elway to say he played "very, very well," per Cole. In place of Manning, Osweiler completed 15 of 20 balls for 151-yards and one touchdown.
However, it seems there is some concern on the part of Elway and the rest of the Broncos brass that Osweiler could choose to leave the Denver organization after this season if he's not assured a starting role going forward. Considering his limited NFL production to date - 17 completions for 159-yards and one touchdown - it's likely hard for Elway and Co. to assure him anything.
That being said, per Cole, the team is adamant about seeing him return and is attempting to sell him on the familiarity the Broncos offer and a potentially incentive-laden deal that would keep him in town.
