Sanchez vows to start for the Denver Broncos
Arnie Stapleton, Associated Press | Coloradoan
ENGLEWOOD — Mark Sanchez is thankful for a fresh start in Denver — emphasis on start.
Sanchez said Monday that general manager John Elway told him to come in and compete for the No. 1 job with the Broncos, "and what a reinvigorating feeling this is."
"This isn't an opportunity I'm going to squander," the year-old veteran said Monday during his introductory news conference at the team's suburban headquarters.
The Broncos acquired Sanchez from the Philadelphia Eagles last week for a conditional draft pick after the Super Bowl champions lost Peyton Manning to retirement and Brock Osweiler to free agency.
Sanchez, due $ million in the final year of his contract in , said the trade caught him off-guard, but as it sunk in, he quickly realized how fortunate he was.
Sanchez said he's the perfect player to follow Manning after replacing another QB icon, Brett Favre, in New York his rookie season. What he learned from that experience, he said, was that playing in the shadows of a superstar doesn't have to be suffocating.
"You don't try to be Peyton Manning," Sanchez said. "O
Denver Broncos | News
The notion of following Manning doesn't faze him, because he's already been the successor to a Pro Football Hall of Famer, starting for the Jets immediately after Brett Favre.
"Nobody follows those guys. You don't try and emulate them. I mean, you see what they do on the field and you love to do some of those things -- especially all the successful things that he's done -- but you don't try and be Peyton Manning," Sanchez said.
But what he wants to be is the starter -- something he hasn't been on a full-time basis since During the and seasons, he started 10 games in relief of Nick Foles and Sam Bradford.
Sanchez's quarterback rating with the Eagles () was higher than that of Bradford () and Foles () for their work the last two seasons in Philadelphia. His completion percentage and yardage per attempt also surpassed Bradford and Foles with the Eagles the last two seasons.
But it's Sanchez who moved on, and he's thrilled about it.
"Now, I'm in a lot of ways in control of my own destiny here," he said. "To have that in my power for the first time in a few years, that's pretty special. And to see what this could be -- I mean, it's incredible.
The best player to ever wear No. 13 for the Broncos was
Jon Heath | USA TODAY Sports
The best player to ever wear No. 13 for the Denver Broncos was quarterback Trevor Siemian, who played for the club from
After playing college football at Northwestern, Siemian was picked by the Broncos in the seventh round of the NFL draft. He served as a reserve backup for his rookie season, the year Denver won Super Bowl
Peyton Manning retired after that Super Bowl win and the Broncos had a quarterback competition the following summer. Siemian surprisingly won the job, beating out veteran Mark Sanchez and first-round pick Paxton Lynch.
Siemian went in his first season as a starter, completing % of his passes for 3, yards and 18 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. His numbers dipped in as he went as a starter with 2, passing yards and 12 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.
After two seasons as a starter, the Broncos traded Siemian to the Minnesota Vikings in While his passing numbers don't jump off the page, Siemian was the team's last full-time starting quarterback to post a winning record ().
Siemian has spent time with six other teams since his tenure in Denver. T
Denver Broncos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Denver Broncos | |||||
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| Established August 14, ; 65 years ago (August 14, ) First season: Play in Empower Field at Mile High Denver, Colorado Headquartered at Centura Health Training Center in Dove Valley, Colorado | |||||
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Current uniform | |||||
| Team colors | Sunset orange, midnight navy, summit white | ||||
| Mascot | Thunder (live horse) Miles (costume suit) | ||||
| Personnel | |||||
| Owner(s) | Rob Walton | ||||
| CEO | Greg Penner | ||||
| President | Damani Leech | ||||
| General manager | George Paton | ||||
| Head coach | Sean Payton | ||||
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| Championships | |||||
| League championships (3) | |||||
Conference championships (8)
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Division championships (15)
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| Playoff appearances (22) | |||||
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