Getty Brock Osweiler is officially calling it a career.
It’s official — Brock Osweiler is retiring from the NFL at the age of 28.
The former Peyton Manning backup, best known for helping lead the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl title back in 2015, is calling it a career. After receiving no offers this season, Osweiler is calling it a career after just seven years in the NFL, as he declares to Mike Klis of 9 News.
“I thought I played some pretty good football last year considering the circumstances,’’ Osweiler said. “Kind of assumed there would be a decent offer in the offseason, whether that was to be a backup for a young starter or possibly compete for a job. Something like that. Free agency came around and there was nothing.
Brock Osweiler’s Claim to Fame Came in 2015
Osweiler spent the first three years of his career as a backup to Manning in Denver. However, he was thrusted into the starting quarterback position in the midst of the 2015 season due to Manning’s reoccurring injures. Osweiler went on to go 5-2 in seven games as the starter, helping lead the Broncos to the top seed in the AFC.
However, just as it had appeared that Osweiler had all of the momentum and would enter the postseason as the team’s starting quarterback, he struggled in the team’s Week 17 game against the San Diego Chargers with the No. 1 seed berth on the line. After a first half which saw Osweiler turn the ball over three times, the Broncos turned back to Manning — and never looked back.
The Broncos won that Week 17 game and would go on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers for their third Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Despite Osweiler’s disappointing career — he was expected to be the franchise quarterback in Denver — his teammates won’t forget the impact he had on that Super Bowl season. Cornerback Chris Harris Jr., one of the few holdovers left from that championship team, stated that there’s no way the team wins that Super Bowl without Osweiler.
“Brock was a great teammate,’’ said cornerback Chris Harris Jr., one of the Broncos’ few remaining stars from that 2015 Super Bowl team. “He was so huge for us in our Super Bowl run with how well he played when Peyton was injured. There is no way we get to that Super Bowl without Brock.’’
Osweiler Had Become a Journeyman QB in His Last 3 Years
Since winning the Super Bowl at the conclusion of the 2015 season, Osweiler has had a rough go of things. After signing a lucrative four-year, $72 million deal with the Houston Texans, Osweiler has bounced around the league.
He was traded from the Texans to the Cleveland Browns prior to the start of the 2017 season, only to be cut by the Browns — a team that would go on to go 0-16 on the season. He would eventually find his way back to the Broncos as Trevor Siemian’s backup.
The highlight of that season for Osweiler came late in the season when he led the Broncos to a victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football. After the Broncos fell behind 10-0, Osweiler came in to relieve Siemian and led Denver to a 25-13 victory.
After the Broncos decided not to bring him back for 2018, Osweiler latched onto the Miami Dolphins as served as Ryan Tannehill’s backup while starting five games.
Osweiler found it odd that he didn’t receive any offers despite the Colts, Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets all showing interest at one point.
“Strange deal. I’m 28. Never had a surgery. I feel like I’m two, three years away from really reaching my prime mentally. You get around a good coach like I was last year with Dowell Loggains — my mechanics were good and it led to good play. It’s just one of those deals.”
Despite all of that, Osweiler wants to stress that he’s still happy with the career that he had.
“I have my health. I have the ring. There’s a lot of things I still wanted to accomplish. And I have a lot more left in the tank. But, hey, sometimes you don’t get that opportunity. And given that, it’s all good. ’’
Osweiler walks away having appeared in 49 games and starting 30 of them during his career.