After losing Brock Osweiler to a Texans team willing to pay the quarterback a whopping $72 million over four years, Broncos general manager John Elway is in no mood to acknowledge defeat.
Elway on Wednesday issued a pointed statement confirming that Denver wasn't about to overpay for Peyton Manning's former backup.
"We've stayed true to our philosophy of building a team with players who want to be Denver Broncos and want to be here. That's been a successful approach for us," Elway said, per the team's official website.
"While we did offer a very competitive and fair long-term contract to Brock, we ultimately had to remain disciplined while continuing to assemble a roster that can compete for championships."
NFL Media's Albert Breer reported that Osweiler was offered a $16 million-per-year deal by Denver, which included $30 million in guarantees. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, though, noted that Osweiler's move to Houston was partially motivated by the passer taking his regular-season benching in Denver personally.
Osweiler's defection and Manning's retirement leaves Trevor Siemian as the only signal-caller on the roster. Still, after watching Elway lure Manning to Denver four years ago, we don't doubt his ability to land another veteran to fill the gap.
While a lesser club would be lashed by the media for letting their QB-in-waiting bolt, the Broncos -- and Elway -- have earned the benefit of the doubt.
