Has Lock thrown his last pass for the Broncos?
Kiz: With a chance to step in for an injured Teddy Bridgewater and be a hero Sunday, quarterback Drew Lock again showed why he’s a zero in the eyes of team management. Late in the first half against the Chargers, Lock reared back and blindly threw a mindless interception so horrible it made me slap my forehead in disbelief and wonder: Will this guy be allowed in the Denver huddle ever again? Is the team’s trust in Lock so broken it can’t be fixed?
O’halloran: Brett Rypien should be the Broncos’ No. 2 quarterback starting Sunday at Kansas City and Lock should only play because of injuries to Bridgewater and Rypien. Period. Lock is 0-for-2 in his relief appearances this year and Sunday was a train wreck, giving coach Vic Fangio no reason to trust him. On his second play after Bridgewater injured his shin, Lock was careless with the football when he moved up in the pocket and fumbled; only receiver Tim Patrick’s heads-up play to recover and dive for the first-down marker kept the drive alive. The Broncos ran on five of the next six plays, capped by Javonte Williams’ nine-yard touchdown on third-and-goal. That play call, albeit against a Chargers’ five-man box, showed they don’t trust Lock.
Kiz: From the moment the Broncos acquired Bridgewater, maybe we should’ve known Lock’s days with the team were numbered. In retrospect, it seems as if the “50-50” competition during training camp for the starting position was a charade. After beating the Chargers, Fangio went out of his way to stress the adversity the team brought on itself with Lock’s interception. Bridgewater might lose his job with the Broncos in 2022, but it seems clear Lock isn’t being groomed to replace Teddy Two Gloves.
O’halloran: It’s doubtful Teddy will be next year’s Week 1 starter and it’s definite Lock won’t be. The interception showed his lack of awareness of score/situation. The Broncos led 14-0 with 2:35 left in the first half. At worst, bleed the clock and take the two-touchdown lead into halftime. But, no. On first down from the Chargers’ 48, Lock left the pocket and recklessly threw a pass into traffic that was picked off by safety Derwin James. The Bolts quickly scored to cut the lead in half. Fangio, at that point, knew a limited Bridgewater was the better choice than a healthy Lock … and he was right.
Kiz: Lock has only played 20 games at the NFL level. The Broncos can certainly be blamed for a lack of commitment to this young quarterback and the failure to develop him, if it makes you feel better. But at age 25, Lock is no kid and his proclivity for stupid turnovers is frightening. Will he ever grow up? Even in a league where there’s never enough quarterbacks to go around, what could general manager George Paton reasonably expect to get for Lock in a trade?
O’halloran: Was Lock given a raw deal with the Broncos? Yes and no. After his rookie year, they scrapped the system he was drafted to play in, which wasn’t ideal. But he also had all of 2020 to show he merited this year’s Week 1 assignment uncontested. Lock’s 40.5 passer rating in two games is hurting him and the Broncos. By struggling as a relief pitcher, Lock is showing teams he can’t produce when called upon in a moment’s notice, which means he has no value. Maybe Paton can get a late Day 3 pick for him from a team that feels they can develop Lock, but he is not setting himself up for a career resurgence.