ENGLEWOOD, Colo.

Trevor Siemian hasn’t officially won the Denver Broncos’ quarterback job just yet but he has earned the starting nod over Paxton Lynch in Denver’s preseason opener at Chicago.

Siemian will get first crack against the Bears on Thursday night while Lynch will start Denver’s second game, at San Francisco on Aug. 19, coach Vance Joseph announced Monday following his team’s indoor practice.

“I think Trevor’s earned that much, you know, to be the first guy out,” Joseph said.

That doesn’t signal that the Broncos see Siemian as the clear leader in the biggest position battle in the NFL this summer .

“No, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, guys,” Joseph said, adding seven more “no’s” for emphasis.

“He’s first out, he’s been first all training camp. He’s been first out all spring, OK?” Joseph said. “It’s an open competition. The games matter. The games start Thursday. So, I want to get to the games, so we can get to the bottom of this, OK?”

It’s obvious to observers at practice, however, that Siemian — solid and steady with glimpses of the spectacular like two deep, accurate throws Monday — has begun to pull away from Lynch, who has regressed since starting out training camp with a pair of solid practices.

Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Eli Manning didn’t play a lot in the preseason a year ago for the New York Giants and that may not change this year.

Manning appeared in two of the four preseason games in 2016 and threw 38 passes before leading the Giants to an 11-5 record and their first playoff appearance since the 2011 Super Bowl season.

Neither coach Ben McAdoo nor Manning shed any news on how much Manning will play Friday when the Giants open the preseason at MetLife Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Manning did not play in either the first or last preseason game in 2016 so don’t be surprised if he stands on the sideline and watches Geno Smith, Josh Johnson and rookie Davis Webb play.

“ We haven’t had our play- time meeting yet,” McAdoo said Monday after the Giants were forced to practice indoors because of rain.

Manning wondered what the coach said when asked about Friday. He laughed when someone said the coach left it up to him, but said he did not know the answer.

“I think I got enough action over the last 14 years to get me ready for the upcoming season,” the 36-year-old, two-time Super Bowl MVP said.

Titans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Marcus Mariota will start Saturday night when the Tennessee Titans open the preseason at the New York Jets.

How long Mariota will play has yet to be determined, but it will mark the quarterback’s first game since breaking his right leg in the Titans’ loss at Jacksonville last Christmas Eve.

Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars placed left tackle Branden Albert on the reserve/retired list Tuesday, essentially ending his brief and baffling tenure with the team.

The Jaguars said in a statement they made the designation four days after Albert approached team officials “about the opportunity to return to the NFL at a later date.”

Placing Albert on the reserve/retired list means his contract is paused, and the Jaguars retain his rights. Albert was scheduled to make $8.8 million this season and $9.5 million in 2018.

Johnny Manziel

Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel wants to remain in the sports world, possibly as a college coach.

In an interview with Outkick the Coverage at the International Football Betting Conference in Costa Rica, Manziel said he’s thought about what he would do if he fails to resume his NFL playing career.

“I’d do something involved with sports,” the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner said. “I can’t get away from it. I’ve had to ask myself that a little bit as of late over the past year, but at the same time, I’d want to be involved in sports in some way, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s doing something like that. So I think that’d be my route.”

Asked which level he’d like to coach, Manziel said “probably college.”

Dolphins

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Jay Cutler woke up in his hotel room Tuesday morning and didn’t know where he was. Then the fog cleared, and he realized it was time to go back to work.

The Miami Dolphins’ new quarterback practiced for the first time since December, marking the start of his comeback from a brief retirement. Rust removal included 11-on-11 drills and one-on-one conversations as he learns the names of teammates.