Trevor Siemian Named Broncos' Starting QB vs. Bears over Paxton Lynch

The Denver Broncos will start Trevor Siemian at quarterback in their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Thursday, NFL Network's James Palmer reported.

Siemian won't have the job for very long, however, as the Broncos plan to start Paxton Lynch in their second preseason game Aug. 19 against the San Francisco 49ers, Denver7's Troy Renck reported.

The Broncos released their first depth chart of the 2017 season on Monday, and the starting quarterback is listed as Siemian "or" Lynch.

Siemian started 14 games in 2016, throwing for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Lynch appeared in three games—making two starts—and threw for 497 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

When Denver selected Lynch with the 26th overall pick in the 2016 draft, many saw him as the team's quarterback of the future. His lack of game time as a rookie wasn't a major concern since he was expected to take a back seat and learn from the sideline before assuming the starting job.

However, Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson wrote Sunday that Siemian may be winning the Broncos' QB battle "by default" because Lynch has struggled so much during practice:

"If you believe the practice tape that others have watched, Lynch has lost every single practice session to Siemian. His sparse collection of good days has been—at best—on par with Siemian's good days. Lynch's bad days have been exponentially worse. Most notably, a practice in which he threw three straight interceptions and left Elway clench-jawed."

The preseason will be an opportunity for one of Siemian or Lynch to create some distance over the other in the race to be Denver's starter.

Should Lynch fail to make a strong impression over the next month, it could be a worrying sign about his long-term outlook in the Mile High City.