Osweiler the starter, Manning to be inactive

Earlier this week, coach Gary Kubiak said Manning would have a “big workout” Saturday to evaluate the his progress.

Despite Osweiler filling in for Manning admirably, he’s only beaten one team with a winning record, which should give Cincinnati some confidence that they can do enough to get a win on the road.

“Brock is our starter moving forward”, Kubiak said on Wednesday (via 9NEWS). He was on the final injury report last week with a knee injury because of a limited Thursday session, but was listed as probable on the final report and got in a full practice last Friday. I have a tremendous team behind me.

This will mark Osweiler’s sixth consecutive start, and it will be the biggest of his career.

S David Bruton Jr. was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after suffering a fractured fibula against the Steelers.

For the coaching staff, the idea of sitting Peyton Manning when he is finally healthy and capable of playing will be very hard. Manning will remain inactive against the Bengals as well.

Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler throws a pass during drills at an NFL football practice Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015, at the team’s headquarters in Englewood, Colo. He had two days of practice work last week, but had soreness in his foot the following day.

Manning has not played for the Broncos since Week 10’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs due to a nagging leg injury. On the other side of the coin, it is unlikely that Manning would be willing to take a pay cut in order to sit on the bench behind a team’s starting quarterback. That leaves the team with little incentive to put him back on the field, especially if Osweiler will be the future of the franchise. If the Denver Broncos hope to improve their seeding in the AFC’s playoff race, they must show improvement on the offensive end.

With a win on Monday against the Cincinnati Bengals and a loss by either the New York Jets or Pittsburgh Steelers the Broncos will clinch a playoff spot.