A Comprehensive Look at Trevor Siemian's NFL Career

By Jason Bolton August 15, 2024 08:12

Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty

Since being drafted in 2015, American football quarterback Trevor Siemian has traversed a somewhat incongruous path through the National Football League (NFL). Siemian has shown versatility during his NFL career, which spans multiple teams. In this article, we will dive deeply into Siemian's professional football journey, his teams, and the numbers by date, including highlights and lowlights and what has happened in recent times.

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Early Life and College Career

Siemian was born on December 26, 1991, in Danbury, Connecticut, but he attended Olympia High School and grew up in Orlando, Florida, then played college football at Northwestern University from 2010 to 2014. Throughout his collegiate career, Siemian evolved into a serviceable quarterback with the Northwestern Wildcats, and he was decent and prepared to take the next step to the NFL.

Denver Broncos (2015–17)

The Denver Broncos selected Siemian as the 250th overall pick in Round 7 of the 2015 NFL Draft. Considered an underdog, the Broncos took him after Manning as a project quarterback.

2015 Season

Siemian was the third-stringer during his rookie campaign. He didn't play in a game, but he was on the Broncos' Super Bowl 50 championship team that defeated Carolina. It was a taste of the championship sense that proved better than gold.

2016 Season

That opportunity came in 2016 when Siemian was declared the Broncos' starting quarterback. He played in 14 games and threw for 3,401 yards, a completion rate of just below sixty-two percent (62%), and eighteen touchdowns against ten interceptions. That performance was good enough for a first-year starter and carried the Broncos to a 9-7 record that season, but they missed out on postseason play in back-to-back seasons.

2017 Season

Siemian remained the starter in 2017, but he had his trials. He appeared in 10 games, starting all of them, to toss for 2,285 yards with just a dozen touchdowns against an eye-popping total of seven picks. There, the Broncos went 5-11 before a coaching staff shakeup and an examination of whether they had their quarterback.

Minnesota Vikings (2018)

Siemian was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in March 2018 for a fifth-round draft pick. He came in as a backup with Kirk Cousins on their newly paid team.

During 2018, Siemian didn't participate in regular-season games as he was then the backup quarterback. Most of his time with the Vikings came on the sideline, behind Cousins and getting ready should he get an opportunity.

New York Jets (2019)

He signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets in March 2019. That left him in line to battle for the starting job, particularly after the Jets traded with New Orleans last week following a season-ending neck injury to Sam Darnold.

The Jets tabbed Siemian to start Week 2 at the Cleveland Browns. But his season ended before halftime in Week 1 with an ankle injury that was ultimately severe. He left the game 3 of 6 for three yards and later underwent surgery that ended his season.

Tennessee Titans (2020)

Siemian signed with the Tennessee Titans in August 2020 and spent a year recuperating. Although he was promptly cut right after signing, Siemian has rejoined the practice squad. He served as a backup during the regular season and didn't play in any games.

New Orleans Saints News 2020-21

The New Orleans Saints signed Siemian off Tennessee's practice squad in November 2020. He then became a significant contributor after starting quarterback Drew Brees' injuries.

2021 Season

Siemian started Week 8 for the Saints against Tampa Bay, completing 16 of his 29 passes for one touchdown and another on the ground as New Orleans won its fifth-straight game with a 36-27 win. He'd go on to start several games, ending the year with 1,154 pass yards and an impressive TD-Int ratio of 11:3 in just six games. That was decent production for a guy who had just become the starter mid-season.

Chicago Bears (2022)

In March 2022, Siemian signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Bears. He was brought in to back up Justin Fields.

He made only one pass attempt for 5 yards in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys last week, which was his first game with the team. Fields was injured in Week 12 against the New York Jets, and that elevated Dalton into a starting role again. Siemian was 14-for-25 for just 179 yards, a score, and an interception in the Jets' embarrassing loss. But in Week 3, he went down with an oblique injury that landed him on injured reserve to bring his season to a close.

Cincinnati Bengals (2023)

On May 12, 2023, Siemian signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after Brandon Allen opted not to re-sign with the team. Brought in to compete for the backup quarterback job.

Current Status

Siemian became an unrestricted free agent in 2023 after his time with the Bengals. He competed for the backup role during his tenure with the team but never played significant snaps.

Awards and career statistics

Some of the impressive stats Siemian has amassed in his NFL career so far include:

Passing Attempts: 1,208
Passing Completions: 707
Completion Percentage: 58.5%
Touchdowns: 44
Interceptions: 32
Passing Yards: 7,751
Passer Rating: 78.7

Siemian, who has a 13-11 career record and played on the Super Bowl 50-winning team in Denver, finished his third NFL season last year. However, it was marred by internal competition from quarterbacks Rodger Lewis and Josh Allen, which led to ACL surgery midway through December following an injury-riddled previous two seasons.

Future Outlook

Just about everything in Trevor Siemian's NFL career has required resiliency. He may play less because of injuries and changes in the team dynamics, but he has shown opportunities to be helpful. Siemian's background and capabilities could still make him appealing to franchises needing a dependable No. 2 passer as he wades through free agency now.