HOUSTON -- With more time to reflect on the Denver Broncos' quarterback situation, former coach Gary Kubiak said Wednesday that he believes both Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch can be NFL starters -- but there's room for only one to do so in Denver.

Kubiak, who stepped down as Broncos coach on Jan. 2, was making the rounds at Super Bowl week in his hometown when he addressed the team's upcoming decision. Kubiak picked Siemian this past season, after Lynch had been selected in the first round of last April's draft.

"That's a good problem to have," Kubiak said when asked if he believed it would be difficult for the Broncos to manage the quarterback competition while trying to repair the offense. "The strength of the young part of the football team is those two kids. I think they're both going to be starters in this league, but it's like I told them: Only one can be the guy there, so it's going to be interesting to see how they do and compete. I'm going to be watching like everybody else."

Former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said Trevor Siemian's main goal this offseason should be to be more cognizant of avoiding hits. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Asked if Lynch would have an advantage over the long term because of his first-round draft status, Kubiak said he believed Broncos executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway and coach Vance Joseph's staff would make the call based on performance.

"John's going to play the best player, and the staff is going to play the best player, and they're both very capable of doing the job for what is a really good football team," Kubiak said. "I think it will play out. I think it will be really competitive."

Siemian started 14 games in 2016 but was battered at times. He missed one start with a left shoulder injury and another with a left foot injury. He had surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder shortly after the season but expects to be ready for the offseason program.

Siemian finished with 3,401 yards passing, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His high points were a 312-yard, four-touchdown day against the Cincinnati Bengals and a 368-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kubiak said Siemian's main goal this offseason should be to get stronger and be more cognizant of avoiding hits.

"I think he can be really good. This will be a big year for him because now he's got games under his belt," Kubiak said. "We all know he can play. He played well against some good teams. He's very bright. Can Trevor stay healthy? He's got to learn to do that. He and I have talked about that. We basically lost him three times last year, and if you're going to play in this league, you look at the great ones, they're there 16 times a year. But he's got the arm, he's got the brain, he's got all those type of things."

Lynch made two starts and flashed the athleticism and arm that convinced the Broncos to pick him in the first round. But he also showed that he'll need time to continue his growth into a potential starter.

Kubiak said that was expected when the Broncos selected Lynch and said he believes offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave will help Lynch's growth.

"I'm really excited to see what Paxton does," Kubiak said. "We knew it would take some time, John and I both knew ... but he'll be so much more comfortable. He was growing leaps and bounds toward the end of the year, and he's with some guys who've done wonders for some young quarterbacks."