Brock Osweiler Signs With Broncos a Day After Being Cut By Browns
Brock Osweiler's last interaction with the Broncos involved him rejecting a multi-year contract offer to instead sign a four-year, $72 million deal with the Texans. Osweiler is back with the Broncos after he was cut by the Browns on Friday, but the circumstances couldn't be much more different.
The details of Osweiler's return were reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The team announced the news later Saturday.
Osweiler, a second-round pick out of Arizona State in 2012, struggled mightily in his one season with the Texans—he finished dead last in yards per attempt, 27th in completion percentage and second-to-last in quarterback rating. The Texans miraculously found a way to rid themselves of his contract by shipping him and a second-round pick to the Browns, who had the requisite cap space to absorb that monstrosity of a contract in order to get that valuable pick.
Osweiler entered the Browns' preseason as the starter but completed just 12 of 24 passes for 64 yards and an interception in two preseason games. After rookie DeShone Kizer was named the starter, the Browns cut Osweiler.
The Broncos' quarterback situation is a bit precarious, which could present an opportunity for Osweiler, still just 26 years old. Trevor Siemian has been named the Week 1 starter, and Paxton Lynch is expected to back him up, but Lynch will miss multiple games with a shoulder injury. The Broncos picked Chad Kelly in the seventh round of this year's draft, but he is expected to miss the entire season as he recovers from a knee injury.
There will be some familiarity for Osweiler, but the coaching staff in Denver is completely different than the one in place when he played. His head coach was John Fox; Vance Joseph is now in charge. His offensive coordinator was Rick Dennison, while Mike McCoy has that position now. Osweiler is a long, long shot to start this season, but he could serve as a solid backup option.
