8:45pm: Kubiak said that Siemian was close to playing today, an indication that the quarterback should be ready for Thursday.
“He did everything he could for us all week, but we had to make a decision that at the end of the week, when it’s time to go, he tried to get there,” Kubiak told Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. “He worked extremely hard to get there. We just didn’t think he was ready.”
7:20pm: Siemian is seemingly putting the brakes on the reports from earlier today. The quarterback told Troy Renck of TheDenverChannel.com that he’s unsure if he’ll be available on Thursday night, adding that he’ll continue his treatments and see how he feels (Twitter link).
2:49pm: While the Broncos will roll with first-round rookie Paxton Lynch against the Falcons today, Trevor Siemian is expected to be ready to start at quarterback on Thursday Night Football, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Broncos To Start Paxton Lynch Week 5]
Siemian, 23, has performed better than many expected in his first action as a starter, completing two-thirds of his passes for more than 800 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions while helping the Broncos to an undefeated start. Had he been healthy enough to play today, there’s no question Siemian would have started. In other words, there’s no quarterback controversy in Denver as Siemian recovers from a sprained AC joint in his non-throwing shoulder.
In an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio last week, head coach Gary Kubiak said that the team will play the situation by ear. “It’s going to be a day-to-day thing,” Kubiak said. “He’s very sore (Monday) and, obviously, it’s not going to affect his ability to throw the ball. But what happens, all the mechanics of your body and the movement, the torque, that’s what he’s going to have to work through.”
Still, Siemian’s injury does give the Broncos a convenient excuse to get a look at Lynch, whom they traded up in the draft to acquire. Atlanta shouldn’t provide much in the way of a challenge, as the Falcons rank 30th in both DVOA against the pass and adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.