COVID CHAOS
BRONCOS HAVE NO QBs, NINERS HAVE NO HOME
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos won’t have any of their four quarterbacks available Sunday when they host the Saints because of coronavirus concerns, multiple people familiar with the NFL’s investigation told the AP.
One person said starter Drew Lock, backup Brett Rypien and practice squad veteran Blake Bortles were deemed high-risk close contacts with No. 3 quarterback Jeff Driskel on Wednesday, the day before Driskel tested positive for COVID-19.
Another person, also speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic, said the four quarterbacks apparently weren’t wearing their masks the whole time they were together as required by the league’s pandemic protocols.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the NFL and the Broncos hadn’t made any announcements after Lock, Rypien and Bortles were ordered off the practice field Saturday and into isolation.
The Broncos were scrambling to prepare practice squad rookie receiver Kendall Hinton and No. 3 running back Royce Freeman to share snaps at quarterback Sunday when Denver (4-6) hosts the Saints (8-2).
Hinton played quarterback during parts of four seasons at Wake Forest and Freeman is the team’s emergency QB.
The NFL cleared the Broncos to practice on Thanksgiving after Driskel tested positive for the virus and again Friday after positive tests for kick returner Deontae Spencer and two staffers. But coach Vic Fangio decided to shut down the building Friday and the team conducted meetings remotely.
Lock, Rypien and Bortles were loosening up before Saturday’s short walkthrough practice when they were pulled off the field and sent home.
They’ll have to quarantine for several days, and in order to return next week, will have to continue to test negative for COVID-19. The NFL isn’t allowing any teams to gather until Wednesday out of concern the Thanksgiving holiday might have exposed players to infection.
After learning of their dire situation at quarterback, the Broncos’ brain trust of Fangio, general manager John Elway and team president and CEO Joe Ellis spoke with officials from NFL headquarters.
The league decided not to force Denver to forfeit the game, and also declined to postpone it as they did the Steelers-Ravens matchup that was pushed back from Thanksgiving to
Sunday and then to Tuesday night after Baltimore’s virus outbreak.
A virus outbreak in New England last month forced the Broncos’ game at Gillette Stadium to get pushed back a week and essentially cost Denver its bye week because of the domino effect on the team’s schedule.
Fangio said Saturday morning before the developments at quarterback that there were no new COVID-19 cases, and he reiterated that he had no worries about his other QBs getting sick because contract tracing had shown they hadn’t been within 6 feet of Driskel before he tested positive.
The league’s contact tracing protocols include checking electronic contact devices, interviews and review of surveillance, and the league has been busy investigating coronavirus cases on multiple teams.
The news on the quarterbacks broke Saturday about the same time the Broncos announced they had signed left tackle Garett Bolles to a four-year contract extension. Bolles, a 2017 firstround draft pick, has shown dramatic improvement this season after the Broncos declined his fifth-year option.