Brock Osweiler doesn’t regret signing with Houston during the 2016 offseason, but he made it clear he’s happy to be back “home.” The quarterback went from Denver to Houston to Cleveland and back in Denver in 18 months.
After being released by the Browns this weekend, Osweiler said he told his agent he wanted to return to the Broncos. Osweiler signed his contract and rejoined his old team Monday, saying “being back here today is probably a top five, if not three, day of my life.”
Osweiler left Denver as a free agent to sign a four-year, $72 million with the Texans, but Houston moved on from him after only one season.
“I want people to know that decision didn’t come lightly,” Osweiler said, via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. “I didn’t sleep for about a week. I was sick to my stomach every single day. I was a mess. At the end of the day, I tried making the best business decision for myself and my family. Whether I made the best one or not, that could be argued. But the fact of the matter is it was made. I’m not going to live in the past. But I’ve always had nothing but love and appreciation for the Denver Broncos and the city of Denver.”
Despite two teams giving up on him, Osweiler, who has a 13-8 record as a starter with 26 touchdowns and 22 interceptions, still believes in his ability. But Osweiler’s role for now is to back up Trevor Siemian, at least until Paxton Lynch returns.
“I do see myself as a starter in the National Football League,” Osweiler said. I feel like I proved that back in 2015. However, in saying that, this is Trevor Siemian’s team, and my job is to be the backup of this football team and do it to the best of my ability. Get the scout team running, get our defense ready to go. And I’m going to embrace that role with everything I have because, like I said, I’m so happy to be back here, and there’s no greater place in the NFL.”
Osweiler skipped the Broncos’ trip to the White House and the Super Bowl ring ceremony in the 2016 offseason, irking some former teammates, but he insists he has no hard feelings.
“If you look back at all my interviews from the time that I signed with Houston and then [was] traded to Cleveland, I spoke volumes about this organization; I spoke volumes of this city,” Osweiler said. “I have nothing but love and appreciation for this organization, for John Elway, for Joe Ellis, for the Bowlen family, just for this community itself. Our old neighbors have reached out. This is just such a special place and there’s nothing but love, and that’s how it’s always been, especially from my end.”