Trevor Siemian
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Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian in 2017.
Even though it’s been a long time since Trevor Siemian started at quarterback for the Denver Broncos, we might forget he was the last quarterback to lead the Broncos to a winning record before their current salad days of having former 1st round pick Bo Nix leading the way.
Siemian’s football odyssey since he started most of 2 seasons for the Broncos in 2016 and 2017 has been something to behold, and added its latest stop when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday.
Siemian spent the last 2 seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
“Free agent quarterback Trevor Siemian is signing with the Falcons,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on his official X account. “Veteran QB adds to Atlanta’s depth.”
“Another QB to add with Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account.
The Falcons have a 2-way battle for starting quarterback with a pair of 1st round picks in Tagolaivoa and Penix, who was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Tagolaivoa was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, who released him following the 2025 season and took on an NFL record dead cap hit in doing so.
“Now official: The Dolphins are releasing QBTua Tagovailoa,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account on March 9. “Miami still owes Tagovailoa $54 million fully guaranteed this season (minus offsets from a minimum deal elsewhere) and will carry $99.2 million indead cap.”
Trevor Siemian’s Strange Place in NFL History
The Broncos drafted Siemian in the 7th round (No. 250 overall) out of Northwestern in the 2015 NFL draft, and he won a Super Bowl as a rookie while he served as the third-string quarterback behind Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler.
When Manning retired after the season and Osweiler signed a 4-year, $72 million free agent contract with the Houston Texans, Siemian beat out veteran Mark Sanchez and 2016 1st round pick Paxton Lynch to become the Broncos’ starter.
That made Siemian the first quarterback to start a season opener for a defending Super Bowl champion who had never thrown an NFL pass.
The Broncos went 9-7 in 2016 — 8-6 with Siemian as the starter — and he was named an alternate for the Pro Bowl but had to drop out because of a shoulder injury. Siemian went 5-5 in 2017 under new head coach Vance Joseph before he was benched.
Since 2017, Siemian has spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals and 2 stints each with the Jets and Titans.
Bo Nix Called NFL’s Best Contract Value
Nix, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, has led the Broncos to playoff appearances in each of his 1st 2 seasons as the starter.
With 2 years remaining on a 4-year, $18.6 million rookie contract, Nix isn’t just a premium value for his franchise — he’s a value almost all 32 NFL teams would kill to have.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon placed Nix at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Most Underpaid” players for the 2nd straight year in 2026.
“Nix is a bargain to the Broncos like Drake Maye is to the Patriots,” Gagnon wrote. “Promising third-year first-round pick on track to become a longtime franchise quarterback. His $5.1 million 2026 cap hit ranks 35th at that position, behind Davis Mills, Marcus Mariota, and Gardner Minshew. In fact, Nix won’t even be the highest-paid QB on the Broncos roster this year, as Jarrett Stidham is due $8 million.”