Let's Not Forget The Underlying Reason That Brock Osweiler Left The Broncos

Now look, despite what the record might show, I am no idiot. I know that the biggest reason that Brock Osweiler decided to sign with Houston is the fact that the only tools the Texans used during the negotiation process were the recency bias of watching Brain Hoyer throw a dozen in picks in a playoff game and a blank check. The NFL is a business, and the money is always going to talk the loudest. Not only that, but Osweiler was understandably upset with how his benching played out. So maybe it's not all that hard to see why he thought the grass might be greener.

That being said, there is still an aspect of his departure that is flying well under the radar, and that's the fact that he wouldn't have been able to truly prove himself in a system that just dragged a half dead quarterback to Super Bowl glory. The Broncos defense was so good last year that they didn't even play their best quarterback in the playoffs and they won a championship. That is unprecedented. It's just not supposed to happen. Peyton Manning had absolutely no business hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, and that's why it would have been nearly impossible for Brock Osweiler to make a name for himself in Denver. 

What would the best case scenario be if Osweiler had returned? He plays game manager for a team that doesn't even ask him to make use of his entire skill set? He wins a Super Bowl while putting up mediocre stats and everyone just refers to him as a product of the system? By signing in Houston he bet on himself (and won quite the pretty penny in the process). The Broncos decision to start Peyton Manning inevitably cost them Brock Osweiler. Not only because he felt slighted by his demotion, but because he learned that there was a hard cap on how much of an impact he would be given the opportunity to have. If Peyton Manning could win a Super Bowl with that defense then anyone can win a Super Bowl with that defense, so while it would have been nice to get one as a starting quarterback, there's little to no chance he would have gotten any credit for it. The Broncos pursuit of RGIII and Colin Kaepernick speaks volumes about how much they expect from their starting quarterback next year. I don't blame Osweiler for taking the money and running to a place that's going to put the fate of the team in his hands.