If Trevor Siemian holds serve and is named the regular-season starter and if, after Saturday's game, the Broncos think they've seen enough from Paxton Lynch to make him the No. 2 quarterback, it's unclear what it would mean for Mark Sanchez. If he was the No. 3 and remained on the roster he would be the team's highest paid quarterback and a game-day inactive.
Sanchez is the highest paid of the three, counting $4.5 million against the cap. If the Broncos were to decide to release Sanchez because they believe Lynch could be the team's backup, the Broncos would take a $1 million dead money hit against their salary cap and would have to pay the $1 million that is fully guaranteed in Sanchez's contract. If the Broncos decide on a Siemian-Lynch depth chart, they could also try to trade the 29-year-old Sanchez. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent at season's end, so teams would only be taking on the last year of his current contract.