Just a few months ago, the Denver Broncos — led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning — won Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. Fast forward to August, and Manning has retired, leaving the quarterback spot open to a battle between Mark Sanchez, rookie Paxton Lynch and former Wildcat Trevor Siemian.

It’s been a very close competition throughout training camp, with Denver head coach Gary Kubiak keeping his cards close to the chest as to who might start for the Broncos in their Week 1 rematch with the Panthers.

Sanchez got the headstart in the preseason, starting Denver’s 22-0 win over the Bears but Siemian got the call against the 49ers. The Northwestern alum — who went 7-for-12 for 88 yards against Chicago — held his own in his first pro start but threw a bad pick-six on a telegraphed pass to San Francisco’s Eric Reid en route to a 31-24 Broncos loss.

To make matters worse, Siemian hurt his shoulder trying — and failing — to tackle Reid, which limited his reps in practice this week. But, that didn’t stop Kubiak from naming Siemian the starter for the Broncos’ game tonight against the Los Angeles Rams. Kubiak still says that the battle is still even between his quarterbacks but getting the nod in back-to-back weeks definitely is a good thing for Siemian.

Tune in tonight to see how Siemian — in Week 3 of the preseason, when usual starters play the most — does against his former college opponent, Jared Goff, and the Rams. Note: The last time Siemian and Goff played each other was August 31, 2004, when Goff’s California Golden Bears beat Siemian’s Northwestern squad 31-24. Goff threw for three touchdowns and a pick while Siemian notched a score but threw two interceptions.

Broadcast Info

Game time: 8 p.m. CT

TV: KTVD in Denver, KCBS/KFTR in Los Angeles

Online: NFL Game Pass, NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL Mobile App

Radio: KOA (850 AM) or 94.1 FM in Colorado, ESPNLA (710 AM) in Los Angeles

Betting line: Denver -5