Earlier in the week, Gary Kubiak said he wanted to have clarity on the quarterback situation following his team’s second preseason game, with the hopes of selecting the Broncos starter before the all-important third preseason game.

That’s not what happened.

Instead, Trevor Siemian and Mark Sanchez did just about everything in their power to lose the starting job, making Kubiak’s decision all the more difficult.

At points, both quarterbacks looked solid, moving the offense up and down the field. But in the end, their weaknesses were on full display. For Siemian, it was his limited arm strength and aggressiveness. For Sanchez, well, it was plays like this …

With a final stat line of 20 for 31 for 195 yards, zero touchdowns and three turnovers, Denver’s top two quarterbacks were far from impressive, which had Broncos Country a little worried.

But … there is another option.

Paxton Lynch.

The rookie quarterback has hardly been mentioned in the quarterback battle this offseason, but with Sanchez and Siemian stumbling towards the finish line, the young gun from Memphis may be pressed into action sooner than anyone imagined.

And while Lynch’s performance was a mixed bag, too, there’s no denying that he possesses physical skills that neither Sanchez or Siemian can match.

There’s a reason why some people have compared Lynch to Cam Newton, and it’s because of plays like this.

Not only is Lynch the only quarterback on Denver’s roster who can make that play, but he’s one of the only quarterbacks in the NFL that can make that play.

Now, is that reason enough to put him in the starting lineup? No, but it’s reason enough to give him a chance.

To this point, Lynch hasn’t received a fair shot at the starting job. From day one, it’s been Sanchez and Siemian’s race, while Lynch has been left leading the third-team on another field. And that’s fine; it’s to be expected.

But things have changed.

Lynch may not be deserving of the starting job, but the thing is that we don’t know that yet. He hasn’t been given an opportunity to prove his worth, either way. Everything we’ve seen from Lynch has come with third-string receivers and linemen on the field. There’s no telling what he could accomplish with the ones.

Paxton Lynch is the future of the Denver Broncos, and while it would be one thing to delay his emergence for Peyton Manning, it’s a completely different thing to delay his emergence for the dynamic duo of Trevor Siemian and Mark Sanchez.

Give the kid a chance, and let’s see what happens.