In the months after Brock Osweiler left the Denver Broncos to take a massive contract from the Houston Texans, Broncos fans developed a strange hatred for Osweiler.

Now, he’s their starting quarterback again.

The odds of Osweiler starting a game for the Broncos ever again seemed astronomical as of a few months ago, but here we are. Osweiler, who flamed out with the Texans, was traded to the Cleveland Browns and was cut by them, will start for the Broncos on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. He’ll replace struggling Trevor Siemian, according to Nicky Jhabvala of the Denver Post.

Osweiler is only with the Broncos because 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch is injured. The Broncos needed a backup when Lynch was injured in the preseason, the Browns cut Osweiler, and Denver scooped him up because he knew the offense. The Broncos also have some positive memories associated with Osweiler. Before he signed with Houston for more money than Denver offered, which general manager John Elway and Broncos fans didn’t seem to understand, Osweiler had a nice run in 2015 when Peyton Manning was on the sideline with an injury. Without Osweiler leading some key wins late that season, notably prime-time wins against the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals, the Broncos would not have won a Super Bowl.

Now Osweiler is back as Denver’s starter. Siemian was the starter last season and began this season playing well, but as the Broncos asked him to carry the offense he predictably struggled. Osweiler is unlikely to have much more success, because the offensive issues go much deeper than the quarterback position, but the Broncos had to try something new with their season slipping away.

We’ve seen Osweiler start for the Broncos before. It just feels so much weirder this time around.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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