**

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. —** As long as Paxton Lynch is healthy, he will start at quarterback in the Broncos' season finale against the Chiefs.

"The plan is to play Paxton," Joseph said Tuesday. "That was kind of the plan last week, if he was healthy enough to play. So this week that's the plan: to play Paxton."

Joseph then specified that the plan was more than just playing Lynch, who Joseph said should have no health concerns this week as he recovers from a high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 12 against the Raiders.

"He wasn't quite ready last week," Joseph said. "Hopefully he's ready to go this week. That's the plan: to start Paxton this week."

Injuries have limited Lynch's playing opportunities this year. He spent the first half of the season recovering from a sprained shoulder he suffered in the third preseason game, and once he returned to the practice field, he got his first shot at leading the offense in Week 12. Then the ankle injury sidelined him three quarters into his first game action of the season.

But before the season is through, Joseph has made it clear over previous weeks that he and the team want to see Lynch recover in time to show what he can do with a full game.

"We want to see him play," Joseph said. "Obviously that's been the goal the last couple weeks, and that hasn't happened. So we want to see him play [with] live bullets in a football game."

Joseph also emphasized that making the quarterback change in the final week would not change any priorities for the team. The aim is to finish the season off with a win at home over a division rival, regardless of who's at quarterback.

"Our first goal is to win the football game, obviously," Joseph said. "With it being a QB issue going into the offseason, we want to see him play to see what this player is. Obviously to win the game is our first priority — not saying if he's playing we can't win. He's going to be our quarterback, [and] we expect to win."