Case Keenum is not fretting that his boss, John Elway, views the quarterback's employment as a "short-term fix."
After an uneven first season in Denver in which he threw for 3,890 yards, 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and the Broncos won just six games, Keenum is aware the team brass is searching for long-term answers.
"I follow a little bit of it. I take it for what it's worth," Keenum said, via the team's official website. "It's not something that's affecting me and my preparation and how I'm ready to go as a football player and what my job is. It's not affecting my job. For me, I take more of what my coaches say and the meetings that we've had. I had a great meeting with John Elway] at the end of the year and we've all got to be better. That's hands down what it comes down to. I was mad just like every other [Broncos fan watching all these playoff games and us sitting at home. I feel the same way that we've all got to be better."
Keenum is the latest underwhelming quarterback Elway has employed. Since Peyton Manning retired in 2016, the Broncos have started Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch and now Keenum. Not exactly the Cleveland Browns' jersey-long list of futility, but no long-term answer either.
Elway could consider adding a rookie signal-caller with the team's No. 10 overall pick to pair with Keenum for a season.
The veteran quarterback rebuffed the idea that he's worried about the team drafting a first-round quarterback or any other offseason addition.
"When's the draft?" Keenum asked smirking. "Sorry, I haven't looked at any draft boards yet. I know how much that changes and how that goes. My job is to get healthy and to get ready for this year. I'm not going to be paying too much attention to that right now especially."
Keenum is set to make $18 million in base salary in 2019, with $7 million guaranteed. The Broncos would save $11 million on the salary cap but incur $10 million in dead money by moving on from the quarterback in the next several months.
Elway seems desperate to finally hit on a quarterback, so nothing can be ruled out in mid-February. At this stage, however, it seems like pairing Keenum with a rookie seems the most plausible route the Broncos could take in 2019. It's on the GM to find the right answer this time around.
