The Denver Broncos are still riding the high from their spectacular Super Bowl 50 win over the Carolina Panthers. With an aging and injured Peyton Manning, the NFL got the shock of their lives when he outperformed the young and agile Cam Newton. While the Denver Broncos quarterback mulls over his next moves following this latest Super Bowl experience, backup Brock Osweiler appears to be getting increasingly agitated over his future with the team.
Osweiler, who served the first loss to the New England Patriots earlier in the recently concluded NFL season, was the breakout star of the Denver Broncos. Outshining Tom Brady in the said game, no member of the football community expected him to come even remotely close to Manning's leadership and skill. However, Osweiler proved to be effective both on and off the field. For a while, fans speculated that the Denver Broncos might boot the veteran quarterback for the young star.
"He's definitely someone who's proven," said Malik Jackson of Osweiler, according to the Denver Post. The defensive lineman added, "He's been underpaid for four years, quietly waiting. When he got his chance to go, he really outperformed himself. I think with the defense they have in Denver, you could put Brock back there and he'll definitely win some games with them."
Despite the performance of Osweiler, the Denver Broncos still appear reluctant to guarantee him a starting post next season. In fact, the Super Bowl 50 winners are waiting for Manning's next move. While the older quarterback hinted at a possible retirement during his last match against the New England Patriots, he has yet to officially confirm the move. This leaves Osweiler hanging - an indication of the level of importance the younger star holds in the Denver Broncos.
"To be honest with you, I think throughout the whole year I think it's kind of been hard, getting hurt and everything, I think you can kinda see it take a toll throughout the season," shared Jackson. He added, "I think when he talked to the team going into the game Saturday night you could kind of feel like the way he was talking, he was getting a little emotional."
Jackson further shared, "I don't know if that was his last speech before a team, but you could definitely tell maybe it was getting closer. He kind of felt an extra type of why about this game to really want to go out there and win. It was one of those things where he started choking up and you're like, 'Oh, is he gonna say it?' He never said it, but I think we all just got an idea."
The uncertainty of his post in the Denver Broncos lineup made Osweiler the center of NFL trade rumors. In addition, a number of other quarterbacks have been tagged as potential replacements for him if he decides to leave the team. The list includes Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers, Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins and Johnny Manziel of the Cleveland Browns. However, one interesting name once again popped out: Tim Tebow.
Prior to the Super Bowl 50, Tebow shared his support for the Denver Broncos. Although he was kicked out of the team to make way for Manning, the Christian star remains a strong supporter of the Von Miller squad.
"I used to play for the Broncos, so I'm kind of partial rooting for them," said Tebow in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres before the Super Bowl 50 showdown. He added, "But at the same time, I used to play with Cam Newton when I was at Florida, so I hope he has a great game. But I'm probably pulling for the Broncos, I guess."
