It looks like the Denver Broncos won’t play star quarterback Russell Wilson in preseason, so backups Josh Johnson and Brett Rypien are going to get plenty of playing time.
Johnson went 8-of-16 for 70 yards in the first half of Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, leading three scoring drives (all field goals). In the second half, Rypien went 22-of-26 for 191 yards with one touchdown.
After the game, coach Nathaniel Hackett wasn’t willing to name a front-runner in the competition for the QB2 role.
“I would say both of those guys have done a really good job,” Hackett said. “Again, we’re looking for that consistency. There were some good things that Josh did today, and then there’s some opportunities that he missed.
“Same thing — ‘Ryp,’ I believe he had a pretty good day, what he did. Both those guys are battling out. They support each other, there for each other, they make each other better. We just want to keep that competition rolling.”
From an outsiders perspective, Johnson starting the first two preseason games presumably means he’s the current favorite. If Johnson starts again in the team’s preseason finale next week, it might be a sign that he is the team’s first-choice option to serve as Wilson’s backup in 2022.
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