SAN JOSE – The most scrutinized quarterback intrigue this week is whether or not Peyton Manning is indeed rodeo-ing for the final time.



The most important quarterback issue? What the hell is Brock Osweiler going to do next season?



In a month, Osweiler will be a free agent. After three-plus years of apprenticing for Manning, Osweiler made the most of his seven-game relief stint for the ailing Manning, going 5-2. Mixed in that span were wins over the Patriots and Bengals and a narrow loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh.



He threw 10 touchdowns and six picks, took a boatload of sacks, showed a big arm, very good fundamentals and decent mobility. Most impressive? His poise and composure both filling in for Manning and dealing with being yanked. Teams looking for maturity and leadership at that position will look at the 25-year-old Osweiler as the gold standard. And he hits free agency with only Kirk Cousins as the other 20-something quarterback that teams won’t look at as a reclamation project, i.e. Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin and Sam Bradford.



Asked about free agency, Osweiler had an answer locked-and-loaded: “I’m 100 percent focused on the Super Bowl and the Carolina Panthers. I’ll cross that bridge when it comes up.”



But there will be options, right?



“Options? I don’t know what options are out there,” he replied. “Like I said, when we get to that bridge, we’ll cross it.”



When that bridge does materialize, it’s going to be paved with cash. And Osweiler will have Denver in a tough spot since he plays the most important position on the field and is clearly the team’s future. The problem for Denver is they also have to figure out how to pay Danny Trevathan, Von Miller and Malik Jackson on the defensive side of the ball.



Denver currently has $16M in cap space but they also have just 41 players under contract for 2016. The Patriots have $7M in space but have 61 under contract.



If Osweiler feels he had the rug pulled out from under him after sputtering against San Diego in Week 17, it will be interesting if he uses that as a negotiating cudgel.



He – obviously – didn’t make a fuss about the decision on Monday night when we spoke.



“At the end of the day, Coach Kubiak has played the guy that he thinks has given this team the best chance to win,” said Osweiler. “Football’s the ultimate team sport. As long as we’re winning football games, I have a smile on my face.”



He did indicate, though, that the benching wasn’t simple to accept.



“There wasn’t a past experience I could relate that to but when that situation did take place, I went home and I sat and I really talked with my wife,” Osweiler explained. “My biggest thing during that whole couple weeks where that was going on, I just wanted to be the best teammate I could be. And that’s what makes this whole football team so special is we all care about each other.



Osweiler said he doesn’t consider what Manning will do after Sunday.



“I haven’t thought a single second about it to be honest with you. I really haven’t. I can’t control it,” he insisted. “I had a college coordinator tell me to only worry about the things I can control. And I can’t control whether Peyton keeps playing football or he doesn’t. So I’m not gonna think about it, I’m not gonna worry about it, I’m gonna show up and do my job and just keep pushing forward.”



Whether that’s in Denver or elsewhere, when Osweiler shows up to do his job in 2016, he’ll be the guy at the top of the depth chart.