QB Osweiler retires from NFL

"I'm extremely grateful for the time I did receive playing in the National
Football League," Osweiler told 9News in Denver. "The experiences I did have,
people I did meet, relationships I did make -- I'm not going to dwell on the
things that didn't happen in my career."

Osweiler stepped in for an injured Peyton Manning during the 2015 regular
season and went 5-2 in seven starts, helping the Broncos earn the No. 1 seed
in the AFC playoffs. His highlight was rallying Denver to a 30-24 overtime win
over the New England Patriots on a snowy night in Mile High Stadium.

Manning was the backup for the regular-season finale against the Chargers, but
coach Gary Kubiak put him in early in the second half and he rallied the
Broncos from a 13-7 deficit to a 27-20 victory. Manning then played throughout
the playoff run.

Osweiler looked set to be the 2016 starter for the Broncos following Manning's
retirement, but he signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Houston
Texans during the offseason, with $37 million guaranteed.

He started 14 games for the Texans in 2016 and helped them win the AFC South
title, but he was benched late in the season and was intercepted 16 times,
with 15 touchdowns. Houston dumped him after the season in a trade to
Cleveland, also sending a 2017 sixth-round pick and a 2018 second-round pick
while getting a 2017 fourth-round pick and relief from $16 million in
guaranteed salary.

The Browns ended up cutting the 6-foot-7 Osweiler before the season, and he
landed back in Denver in 2017, starting four games. He played for the Miami
Dolphins last season, making seven appearances (five starts).

A free agent this offseason, he reportedly visited with the Indianapolis Colts
in August following Andrew Luck's retirement but was not signed.

Osweiler, 28, was a second-round pick by the Broncos in 2012 and played in 49
games (30 starts) with Denver, Houston and Miami. He went 15-15 as a starter,
completing 59.8 percent of his passes for 7,418 yards with 37 touchdowns and
31 interceptions.

--Field Level Media