The Denver Broncos' 2017 NFL season was plagued by lackluster play under center. Fortunately, the Broncos were able to swap out their mediocre quarterbacks in exchange for a bonafide starter in Case Keenum.

However, Denver still decided to keep quarterback Paxton Lynch around despite a disappointing start to his career. Head coach Vance Joseph says Lynch can rest easy knowing his only job is to continue to develop behind Keenum, via the team's official website:

“I think for Paxton and our football team it’s been a weight off all of our backs to have a starting quarterback and have everyone’s role defined from Day 1,” Joseph said. “So for Paxton, he can relax and get better each day and not worry about a competition. I think for Paxton being around Case also — I mean, Case has been through some ups and downs in his career, so he can learn from Case on how to handle those things. It takes time to be an NFL quarterback. You would hope with Case being here, he can sit back and relax and get better as a quarterback and not worry about being the guy right now and just compete to be our backup.”

There is plenty of truth to Joesph's comments. Keenum had spent most of his career as a backup before getting his first real opportunity to start with the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, he was among many of the players who suffered in their disastrous offense in the 2016 campaign. However, he was ultimately able to bounce back with the Minnesota Vikings before signing a lucrative deal with the Broncos this offseason.

It seems Denver is hoping Lynch can mirror that type of success in the future. Joseph is not the only to display confidence in the young quarterback. General manager John Elway knew Lynch was a raw prospect coming out of Memphis. However, he still decided to take him with the 26th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Luckily, they now have the benefit of waiting for him to progress into a potential franchise quarterback once Keenum's tenure is finished.