If Vance Joseph could forge a successful second act on the Front Range, why not Paxton Lynch?
The Grading The Week team has been going through storage these last few days to figure out where we buried our old Ed Sheeran CDs and “The Last Jedi” mugs. Because suddenly, it’s 2017 all over again around these parts.
VJ’s defense during his current stint with the Broncos has been the talk of the town. Guess what? The QB1 who couldn’t help Joseph’s era as Broncos head coach (2017-18) get off the ground is coming back, too.
Lynch, the Broncos’ first-round draft pick in 2016 and John Elway’s former franchise quarterback of the future, has signed a contract with the Colorado Spartans of the National Arena League, a spring indoor football circuit founded in 2016.
Lynch, who turned 31 in February, has kept it local while bouncing from league to league since the Steelers waived him in September 2020.
Welcome back, Paxton Lynch! — B+
Competitively, Lynch was last seen with the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas in the spring of 2023. Earlier that season, he started five games for the XFL’s Orlando Guardians, completing 59.6% of his throws with four touchdowns and one interception. In 2022, he played in five games with the USFL’s Michigan Panthers, throwing for five scores and running for two more.
Can Lynch do for the Spartans, who play their home games at Denver Coliseum, what he couldn’t do for Elway and the Broncos? Credit to Spartans management: If they wanted to get the metro’s attention, gold stars all around. Consider the GTW crew’s interest piqued.
Even better: Turns out our man Paxton isn’t the only guy with local ties on the Spartans. Oh, no.
Former Buffs linebacker Jordan Domineck was listed on the online roster as of Friday. So was ex-CSU safety Logan Stewart. And lineman Anthony Wilson, formerly of CSU Pueblo.
The National Arena League (NAL) featured franchises in nine cities as of last month: Denver (Spartans); Pueblo (Punishers); Bossier City, La (Rouxgaroux, GTW’s personal favorite sobriquet); Dallas (Bulls); Salina, Kan. (Liberty); Sioux City, Iowa (Bandits); Dodge City, Kan. (Storm); Amarillo, Texas (Warbirds); and Omaha, Neb. (Beef).
According to the NAL website, the Spartans are slated to open their 2026 slate on March 7 at Pueblo. The first listed home game for the Spartans, via the league page, is April 11 at the Coliseum against Amarillo. Curious? So are we, friends. So are we.
Marty Necas’ big week — A
Thursday: Sign an eight-year, $92-million extension. Friday: Notch a goal — Necas’ eighth of the year — and two assists in a road win on Halloween over Vegas.
Not a bad 48 hours, Marty Necas. Not too bad at all.
Ceal Barry Plaza at CU — A
Meanwhile, how cool was it to see CU plans on honoring iconic former women’s basketball coach Ceal Barry? The Buffs announced this past Wednesday that it will rename the plaza on the west side of the Events Center “Ceal Barry Plaza.” Pending Regents approval on Nov. 6, the university plans on unveiling the plaza during a ceremony next Jan. 25, when the Buffs’ women’s hoops team hosts Oklahoma State.
From 1983-2005, Barry won 472 games at CU, tops in school history. She led the Buffs to four regular-season conference titles, five conference tourney titles and three Elite Eights before moving to an administrative role. Awesome to see CU “Ceal” the deal on a memorial to one of the best coaches the Buffs have ever had — in any sport.