Finally, it’s quarterback week.

In most preseasons, that’s what this week’s third exhibition game amounts to, the truest litmus test of where a quarterback situation stands, and the most impactful opportunity to make a pitch for a starting job. As expected, this week could have significant ramifications all over the NFL. And the most seismic shifts promise to be on quarterback depth charts. Certainly they won’t be the only situations working themselves out in the third preseason games. But they’ll definitely be the most entertaining.

Among the quarterback situations (and other storylines) worth watching in the most important game of the preseason …

View photos Jared Goff feels the pain on Saturday in a preseason game against the Chiefs. (AP) More

The draft’s No. 1 pick likely to hold a clipboard in Week 1

After talking to several team sources, I got a strong sense in Los Angeles Rams camp that the franchise was leaning toward starting Case Keenum for at least the first four games of the season. The thought being that such a timetable wouldn’t throw Jared Goff into the teeth of what should be two of the NFL’s best defenses (the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 and the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4) in his first month on the job. After seeing Goff’s first two preseason games, that timetable seems more plausible than ever. The natural assumption was that coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead were blowing hot air when they suggested a patient approach would be taken with Goff. After talking to both, I came away convinced it was a legitimate approach. Goff would have to light up the Denver Broncos’ defense on the road in the third preseason game to take the starting job in the season opener.

Speaking of the Broncos …

This was the worst-case scenario for Denver when both Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler departed in the offseason. The defending Super Bowl champs enter the most meaningful stage of preseason still unsure of the starting quarterback. The Broncos are measuring the trio of Trevor Siemian, Mark Sanchez and rookie Paxton Lynch. One week ago, it looked like coach Gary Kubiak was leaning toward Siemian. But both Siemain and Sanchez were bad enough in the second preseason game that it may have cracked open an opportunity for Lynch to get a look. This is the least predictable starting quarterback call in the league. With the Broncos facing a tough Rams defensive front on Saturday, any one of the Broncos trio could take hold of this job with a strong performance. Siemian will get the start against Los Angeles.

Colin Kaepernick, where are you?

Something isn’t right with the Colin Kaepernick situation. I was in camp with the San Francisco 49ers when it was suddenly announced that he had a tired arm and that he’d be taking a break. Both coach Chip Kelly and Kaepernick were vague about the quarterback’s arm being “tight.” Now Kaepernick is slated to start ramping it up again … maybe. Kelly dropped a completely non-committal approach in a conference call with reporters, saying, “We’ll see how it goes once he starts throwing.” So maybe Kaepernick plays Friday against the Green Bay Packers and finally competes meaningfully with Blaine Gabbert. Maybe he doesn’t. Maybe Kaepernick never sees the field again for the 49ers. It could go any way at this stage. One thing seems clear: If Gabbert gets the majority of starting snaps against Green Bay, it would be nonsensical to continue portraying this situation as an open competition for the starting job.

How injured is Teddy Bridgewater?

Much like the Kaepernick situation in San Francisco, the sudden unavailability of Bridgewater with the Minnesota Vikings is getting odd. Head coach Mike Zimmer appeared to either lie (or stretch the truth to an extreme level) over the weekend, when he said there was “no concern” over the health of Bridgewater in Minnesota. If that were the case, Bridgewater wouldn’t have missed the second preseason game and then followed that up with subsequent missed practices – and both of those things happened. So something is not 100 percent right with Bridgewater. What is the problem and how bad is it? An ESPN report pegged it as shoulder soreness. If that’s the case, it will be telling to see if Bridgewater is shut down for the remainder of the preseason. If Zimmer pulls the plug on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, there’s virtually no chance Bridgewater plays in the exhibition finale.

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