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One day after Chad Kelly was named the Broncos'
No. 2 QB, the Broncos general manager admitted it may not be the
last move he makes to his quarterback room before the season
kicks off next month.
Speaking in a radio interview on103.5 The Fox in Denver on
Tuesday, Elway did not shy away when being quizzed if he would
consider adding a veteran quarterback to back up starter Case
Keenum.
"I'm not going to tell you we're definitely going to stand pat,
but I'm not telling you we're going (in) that direction,
either," Elway told 103.5 The Fox radio station in Denver.
The Broncos promoted Kelly to the backup quarterback spot and
demoted former first-round pick Paxton Lynch to No. 3 on the
depth chart on Monday. Kelly has worked with the second team
this week after he went 14-for-21 for 177 yards, two touchdowns
and an interception in the preseason opener over the weekend
against the Minnesota Vikings.
While Kelly's early preseason success has excited Broncos fans,
Elway -- the Broncos' two-time Super Bowl champion ex-QB and
Hall of Famer-turned GM since 2011 -- admitted that he is not
yet ready to cement Kelly as bona fide backup in Denver.
"We've got to have confidence that that guy that's going to be
the backup can play and win football games," Elway said. "And so
that's why we're still in that process of trying to see if we've
got that guy behind Case.
"Even though Chad played very well on Saturday night -- we'll
see how he does this week -- but if something were to happen to
Case, can he come in and continue to win football games for us?"
Elway said. "That's the big part of the evaluation process and
that's still going on."
Broncos head coach Vance Joseph separately told Denver media on
Tuesday that Lynch, who went 6-of-11 for 24 yards and an
interception on Saturday, is not thrilled to be dropped to the
No. 3 spot behind Kelly, the rookie whose nephew, Jim, is also a
Hall of Fame quarterback.
"He is upset. He didn't like it. He wants to know why," Joseph
said. "And he has to play better. It's as simple as that. It's a
competition. It's the league. Everyone's doing this. No one's
not playing their best players."
Kelly, 24, spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve
after the Broncos took him with the final pick of the 2017
draft. He had worked exclusively as the third quarterback in
camp until Monday, but Joseph and Elway each said earlier this
offseason that Kelly would compete with Lynch for the backup job
behind Keenum.
Kelly was pegged by some as a first- or second-round prospect
before he missed the 2017 season at Ole Miss with a torn
anterior cruciate ligament. Healthy enough to throw at his pro
day in April 2017, Kelly suffered a wrist injury during his
workout that required surgery. He also entered the draft with
off-field concerns stemming from a December 2014 arrest for
disorderly conduct.
The Broncos traded up five spots in the 2016 draft to take Lynch
26th overall, but the 24-year-old failed to win the starting job
through two years, leading to Keenum's signing this spring.
Lynch is 79-of-128 (61.7 percent) for 792 yards, four touchdowns
and four interceptions in five appearances (four starts).
Kelly will work as the Broncos' second quarterback throughout
this week, including two joint practices against the Chicago
Bears, before Saturday's game against Chicago.
--Field Level Media
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