This isn’t the first quarterback crisis the Broncos have been through during the preseason.

Almost two decades ago, after John Elway retired following the Broncos second consecutive Super Bowl, Bubby Brister and Brian Griese were pitted against each other in a competition to determine Denver’s next quarterback.

The prior season, Brister had been the Broncos’ backup quarterback, starting four games for an injured Elway — not much unlike Brock Osweiler in ’15 — and was expected to be “the guy” heading into the ’99 season. The Broncos, though, had different plans, as they had drafted Brian Griese in the third round of the ’98 draft, and he was soon named the starter over the incumbent Brister, a situation that sound very familiar to the one Denver’s facing right now.

Brister, though, believes there are some key differences.

“I don’t think it’s the same, because the year before I got to play a lot and we won the Super Bowl,” Brister told Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro on Afternoon Drive on Mile High Sports Radio. “I went through spring, mini camp and all of that as the guy, even through training camp. Granted, we didn’t do well in preseason, but that would be why I would say it was a little bit different.”

Brister can see why Kubiak made the decision he did at starting quarterback, knowing you have to trust the coach and Elway.

“I watched Siemian play a little bit the other night; he’s got all the tools,” Brister said. “With that offense and Gary Kubiak and John running it, I couldn’t argue it. If Kubiak says he’s the guy, you’ve got to trust that he’s the guy.”

And with the supporting cast around Siemian, Brister thinks he’ll be fine.

“On the outside looking in, how could you argue with Gary Kubiak if that’s what he wanted to do?” Brister said. “We don’t know how it’s going to play out, but with a defense like that and the home field advantage, if the kid plays steady and has a cool head like everyone has said he’s been doing, I think he’ll be fine.”

Arguments have risen for top draft pick Paxton Lynch to be the starter over Siemian, but Brister has second thoughts with that idea and, again, puts trust into Kubiak.

“I don’t know if I would do that,” Brister said. “Ask John how that felt when they threw him in. It’s hard when you’re a rookie. There is a lot to learn for the offense. Anytime you get to the pros, I don’t care who you are, it takes time to learn that system. If Kubiak is not doing it, then I trust in Gary.”

To catch the full interview with Bubby Brister, including talk on how Siemian could stack up to Manning’s numbers, listen to the podcast below…

https://soundcloud.com/milehighsports/8-30-16-bubby-brister-joins-afternoon-drive-to-talk-about-the-broncos-qb-situation

Catch Afternoon Drive with Goodman and Shapiro Monday-Friday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.