As the NFL world continues to wait for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision on his future, the Denver Broncos have to be prepared for the very real possibility that Rodgers might stay in Green Bay or retire (opposed to asking for a trade).
If Rodgers does not become available via trade, the Broncos will have to consider other quarterback options in 2022. Given that Denver passed on the QBs in last year’s draft, it’s hard to imagine general manager George Paton going all in on drafting a QB in what appears to be a weaker class this year.
So, the most likely non-Rodgers options are probably veteran bridge QBs, similar to Teddy Bridgewater last year (Bridgewater is now a free agent). If the Broncos do bring in a short-term veteran, Drew Lock would presumably get a chance to compete for the starting job again this offseason.
“He’s got a powerful arm,” new offensive coordinator Justin Outten said of Lock during his introductory press conference on Tuesday. “He’s done a really good job as far as using his legs and being an athlete.
“As far as [evaluation], I want to see how he fits in the system a little bit more once he gets the playbook under him, and then we’ll go from there.”
Lock has one year remaining on his contract and Denver has no reason to cut him, so unless the 25-year-old QB is involved in a trade to acquire another QB, Lock seems likely to have at least one more season with the Broncos.
Whether Lock serves as a backup or wins the starting job remains to be seen, but Outten’s initial comments seem to suggest Lock will get a chance to impress.
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