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NFL

Report: Broncos players expect Mark Sanchez to start preseason opener

Jason Rowan
| August 9, 2016

Broncos Football

The Denver Broncos made the unique move of designating Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian as “co-starters” on the team’s initial depth chart of training camp. An informal poll of unidentified Broncos players, however, indicated most of them believe Sanchez will be starting under center during the team’s preseason opener Thursday against the Chicago Bears.

Denver7’s Troy Renck was the first to report the news via Twitter.

The notion that the Broncos would give the starting nod to the 29-year-old veteran Sanchez over the unproven and inexperienced Siemian — a seventh-round pick selected 250th overall just a few months ago in the 2016 NFL Draft — is hardly a shocker. Nor does it provide any hint which direction the Broncos will ultimately go when making a final determination which quarterback will start in Week 1 of the regular season.

In essence, even if Sanchez is indeed tabbed as the starter for the first preseason game is much ado about nothing. The fact that the Broncos wouldn’t designate Sanchez alone as the No. 1 QB on top of the first depth chart is much more revealing concerning how the team feels about him at this stage of camp.

Reports going back as far as June have indicated most Broncos players believe the starting job is Sanchez’s to lose.

Subsequent reports in July indicated Sanchez had a “slight edge” over Siemian.

It probably goes without saying how well Sanchez plays in the reported one quarter of play against the Bears likely will be the first step in determining the endgame. The next step in the process will be learning who the Broncos decide to start in its second preseason game.

If it’s Sanchez, chances are he did enough to establish himself as the likely starter in Week 1. If it’s Siemian? All bets are off.